Love in the Time of War
by Mina5823
Summary: As the world of Naruto is threatened to be torn apart by war, both Kakashi Hatake and Mina Hashimoto know they have no time for relationships and absolutely no business falling in love. But after one fateful meeting, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other. Rated M for later content.
1. Chapter 1

The lazy sun was barely beginning to peek its head over the horizon as the last day of summer in Konoha slowly began. It had been the hottest summer in nearly a decade, and the familiar mild climate innate to the village hidden in the leaves had been replaced by a sticky and pervasive heat that seemed to slow the hustle of the bustling streets to a sluggish pace. Stray animals retreated to huddle under the shade of shop awnings and heavily branched trees. Old women who used to sit outside their homes and chat with neighboring ladies now met in air-conditioned teahouses, fans in hand, to compare notes on the latest gossip. Even the shinobi appeared to move at a lethargic pace as if not even the strongest ninja could avoid the effects of such an unpleasant and moist heat.

This morning, a drowsy silence lay over the village, and its inhabitants were content to savor the last few minutes of air-conditioning before they would be forced to get up and endure the day. At this time, the only person outside was a twenty four-year old girl laying flat on her back on a parched, grassy riverbank, staring up at the sky, watching the sun slowly rise. She was a petite, gray-eyed girl with a long mane of light brown hair that was kept tied into a ponytail. She wore a simple civilian outfit this morning: a short sleeved floral-patterned dress than reached the tips of her fingers when she stood upright and brown, strappy sandals. Beside the girl laid her work clothes, including a medics uniform that she had folded neatly and a stocked first aid kid that she carried everywhere.

Mina had just gotten off her overnight shift at the hospital. Having started working at the hospital exactly one year before, Mina had finally begun to feel as if she had gotten the hang of things. Clocking in, going on rounds, and treating her patients was beginning to become second nature. At last, her life was settling into comfortable and predictable routine, and that was just how she wanted it.

As she laid on the riverbank, watching the sky transform with light and color, a tiny, tantalizing breeze blew lightly over her face, brushing loose strands of hair into her eyes. _Was that what I think it was?_ She sat up quickly, fixing her hair, looking around to catch evidence that what she just felt had been real. Mina stared at the trees on the opposite side of the riverbank. _Had the leaves just been rustling?_

Almost as though she had spoken her thoughts aloud, a male voice suddenly answered her, "It's finally over."

"What is?" Mina asked, turning to face the tall, well-built shinobi standing behind her. He had snuck up on her again without her noticing. How annoying, and yet predicable of him.

Genma smirked, twisting the senbon carefully in his mouth before answering, "This cruel summer." He gave a great sigh before shrugging his shoulders and plopping unceremoniously to the ground beside his old friend, "Long night?"

Mina turned back to face the riverbank, now watching the water begin to sparkle as sun rose higher and higher into the sky.

"It was the same-old, same-old," she replied, "did you just get back from a mission? You look a bit more roughed up than usual." The two friends fell silent as the medic quickly scanned her shinobi friend, taking in the dried stains of blood, tears in his jounin uniform, as well as the numerous amount of scratches that befell her companion. She touched his upper arm gingerly, being rewarded with a low wincing sound from Genma, and immediately noticed how tender and bruised the arm muscle was. She began to administer treatment, a steady green glow emitting from her hands while she repaired the torn muscle tendons in his bicep with her chakra. Genma grunted in thanks.

This was another routine that had been established in Mina's life in the past year or so. She would get off her shift at the hospital, and Genma, who was usually just coming back from a mission, would find her either at her apartment or at one her favorite spots in the village. Somehow, he always knew which location to find her at, but Mina just chalked it up to more hidden shinobi abilities that she did not understand. He used to insist that he didn't need her healing because after all, if his sustained injuries were that serious, he would've already landed in a hospital bed; however, she wouldn't hear of it. In Mina's opinion, Genma was a bit too reckless with his life even though he was a shinobi and the gamble between life and death came with the territory.

"So tonight," Genma began after a period of silence, "is your night off, correct? He looked up at the brunette, trying to read her expression.

Mina nodded slowly, still focused on the task at hand, "That would be correct, but so what?"

Genma smirked, "SO," he emphasized, "that means that you're finally free to go out with us tonight! You have no good excuse this time!"

Mina groaned inwardly, "Go out with who? Your jounin friends? Come on, you know how I feel about that!"

"Yeah, yeah I know you feel out of place because you're not a shinobi. But so what? You and me? We have similarities too! We both have seem comrades fail and people die right before our eyes!"

Mina snorted at her friend's ability to make light of probably the worst part of their own respective jobs.

"And.." he drawled on, "that's what makes people close. People bond over shitty situations. You can't deny that. That's just a way of human life."

Finally finishing up his arm, Mina removed her hands from Genma's arm and placed them back down beside her, propping herself up.

"Forgive me for not wanting to talk about such a gruesome subject when I meet people for the first time" she smiled, shaking her head.

Seeing Mina's smile stretch across her face, Genma couldn't help but grin cheekily in return. She looked beautiful even after a grueling 10 hour shift at the hospital. He had to resist the urge to reach out and stroke her soft, long brown hair as it swayed ever so slightly in the timid breeze. He squeezed his fists tightly, resisting the urge, reminding himself to get it together. After all, he had a reputation to manage.

"If I come tonight, does that at least mean I get to meet your girl of the week?" Mina said, wagging an eyebrow at him.

Genma chuckled, finally rising to stand. He made a face as if he was seriously considering her question."Why of course, but only if actually come tonight." He brushed some dirt off his pants before offering a hand to help Mina up, "Let me walk you home. You can't go out later tonight if you don't get some sleep right now."

"That is true," said Mina, "I guess." She reached up to grab her friend's hand, which hoisted her to her feet. Hastily, she scooped up her medics uniform and first aid kit, and fell into step beside Genma as they began to make their way back to the heart of the village.

"You're pretty lucky you cornered me on my night off."

Genma shrugged, shoving his hands casually into his pockets. "I won't feel lucky until I actually see you at a bar tonight instead of lazing around in your apartment like usual. So I'm gonna reserve my judgments for now. I don't wanna jinx it."

"You still believe in that stuff, huh? Jinxing and karma and fate?"

As the two companions reached the main streets of Konoha, the villagers had only begun to wake up for the day. The sun had finally risen into the blue, clear sky, and a small breeze could be felt from time to time, signaling the end of a brutal summer and the beginning of a new season.

"Baby, you know it." Genma looked down at Mina, smirking, "How else can I explain how lucky I was to be able to meet someone like you?"

Mina rolled her eyes in return to her friend's shameless attempt at a flirtation. Throughout the village, Genma was known to be a playboy. He loved women, and women loved him. The fact that he was an elite jounin probably did wonders to create an even more disillusioned, idealized version of him that women could fantasize about; however, Mina knew better. Underneath his seemingly lazy, apathetic, but yet 'cool' demeanor that girls swooned over, Genma was someone that cared deeply and passionately about many things. Why he wouldn't let that show still remained a mystery to her, but she assumed that in time, she would understand why. Although Mina had only been alive for twenty-four years, she recognized that there was always a reason behind why people behaved the way they did, and this situation was no exception.

"You know you don't need to practice on me anymore, right? You could get any girl in this village right now!" Mina pointed out, "The ladies of Konoha would be here in a second, to grovel at your feet if you so much as looked at them!"

"Hey now, who said I was practicing?" Genma winced, "And that's a bit of an exaggeration, don't you think?" He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, noticing that civilians were beginning to open up their shops. The village was awakening.

"Well, it's not an exaggeration to say that you have no trouble with the ladies!"

The two friends turned off the main road, now walking on a street mostly dedicated to housing, growing closer to Mina's apartment building. "All the nurses think you're some sort of sex god, it's pretty ridiculous."

At this, Genma perked up. "Sex god…hmm? I think I'm more than okay with that reputation." He grinned devilishly, "Although, I don't think you should be telling me this. I thought you've been trying to get me to be more humble. This kinda defeats that purpose, no?"

Finally the duo had reached Mina's apartment building. Together they slowly climbed the stairs to the fourth floor where her living quarters were located, and they paused outside her door for a brief moment. "Look," Mina said while swiveling to look at Genma, "All I'm saying is you don't need my help anymore. No girl would ever turn you down." She then dove her hand into her pockets searching for the apartment key, her hands finally grasping onto cold metal after a few seconds of fumbling. "Anyway, I'll see you around then, yeah?" She turned her back on him to insert the key into the lock, "Goodbye Genma-kun."

Genma shifted the senbon in his mouth carefully from the right to the left side while watching Mina unlock her door, his hands casually resting in his pockets. He wondered how it was possible that she still had not caught onto his feelings for her. Then again, perhaps it was his fault that their relationship had turned out the way it did. They had met strangely in a dark, empty street corner of Konoha at 5 in the morning. Genma had just snuck out the window of his latest conquest's apartment while Mina was just coming home from a night shift at the hospital. At first, when she noticed him and began to piece together what he was doing, which wasn't hard considering his messy clothes, unruly hair, and a trail of dark hickeys on his neck, she just shrugged and chuckled, thinking it was amusing. Genma, on the other hand, in a half-drunken state, thought he had seen something of an angel, or at least, he had seen what angels would look life if they existed in this universe. He attempted to shuffle forward towards Mina and wave at her but instead clumsily tripped over his own feet and fell to the ground, groaning upon impact. Mina rushed forward, helping the stranger to his feet, "Are you okay?" He mumbled something indistinguishable in reply before closing his eyes. Before he hit the ground again, Mina quickly grabbed his arm and slung it over her shoulder to support him, "Where do you live?" She said these words slowly and loudly, punctuating every syllable, hoping they would reach the stranger even in his drunken state, but his only response was a low snore as he fell asleep. Mina swore out loud, annoyed. It was just her luck to be stuck out here with this strange, drunk man at the crack of dawn.

"Well jeez. I can't just leave you here on the street now can I?" Mina said, shifting her gaze to the stranger slung across her shoulder. She sighed deeply before beginning to trudge down the street. "How bothersome…."

That morning, Genma slept on Mina's couch, with her monitoring him closely as to make sure he didn't succumb to alcohol poisoning. She sat in an armchair across from his sleeping figure watching his chest rise and fall, her cheek resting in the palm of her hand. Occasionally, her own sleepiness would cause her eyes to momentarily flutter shut, but she slapped herself awake, trying to treat this situation as if she was at the hospital working and this was her patient. Eventually, however, Mina finally succumbed to a deserved sleep, sinking down in the armchair into a curled up position. It was the conversation that ensued when both parties woke up that began their friendship.

"So of course she thinks I'm just some immature playboy who's sticking around to pay her back for that one night." Genma thought to himself now back in the present..

"Genma?" A voice suddenly brought him back from his thoughts. He shook his head, disentangling himself from the memories of the past ,"Yeah?"

"I was just saying goodbye, but you looked like you were a million miles away..."

"Ah, no I'm all good. I'm all here." He grinned sheepishly patting his chest to indicate so, "I will see you tonight by the way, or else." He added.

"Yeah yeah whatever."

Mina gave a final nonchalant wave before closing her door. In turn, Genma began to make his way home, trudging down the four flights of stairs in the apartment building, all the while thinking to himself how ironic and unlucky it was that the one girl that seemed immune to his charms was the one he wanted the most.

* * *

Hi all! Sorry there wasn't any kakashi in this chapter, but I promise there's going to be a whole lot of him in the rest of the story. Please feel free to offer up any constructive criticism in the reviews section, as this is my first fanfiction ever. I've already outlined the entire story up to the end, so it's likely that I'll actually be completing and finishing this story. If you've read all the way to the bottom of this page, thank you :') and enjoy the next few chapters!


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening, Mina paced in her bedroom, wondering if she should go out tonight after all. She hadn't had a night off in more than two months, as the sudden number of shinobi in her hospital beds had increased, and her skills were needed more than ever. Although work could be exhausting at times, Mina didn't mind. She was glad that her work was important, and it felt good to be needed.

Usually on her nights off, she would spend it reading and catching up on her favorite novels, baking, or wandering the busy night markets, often enticed by all the knickknacks that were being sold by street vendors, or the delicious treats that called her name. At the same time, Mina noted that it had been quite a while since she had spoken to people other than Genma, her coworkers, and patients. She was not immune to loneliness; however, because her work kept her so busy, she did not notice how lonely she actually felt when no one was around. It had been a 16 years since the death of her younger brother, Haru, and her parents, but she still felt an emptiness in her heart that could not be filled.

 _Maybe going out tonight would do be some good. Social interactions…everybody needs them from time to time, right?_ This is what Mina thought to herself as she paced in the bedroom of her quaint apartment. Hastily, she walked over to her closet and without much deliberation grabbed some clothes to change into: a white spaghetti strap top paired with a black mini skirt and black, strappy sandals that extended to her knees, not unlike the heels that many older kuniochi wore. She applied a light layer of makeup, including a touch of mascara here and there that accentuated her eyes and a dab of rose-colored lip tint. Finally, she let down her long, light brown hair from its usual ponytail, using her fingers to comb through the ends. For a minute she stared at the figure facing her in the mirror, thinking with wonderment that it looked eerily similar to a lot of civilian girls her age that went out to the bars and clubs every weekend. _This is what I'm supposed to look like, right?_ The white top and mini skirt hugged her body and flattered her slender body, while the heels brought attention to her legs, which were still well proportioned even though she held a petite frame, causing many to think she was actually taller than she was. She decided that she actually looked decent.

A polite knock at the door jolted Mina from her thoughts. _That must be Genma._ Turning away from her reflection, Mina walked out of her bedroom to let her friend in. No doubt he would be pleased to actually see her ready to go out on the town tonight. Now the chances that he could get her out the door and into a bar were even higher.

"Yo." He greeted Mina causally as she opened the door. The first thing he noticed was the sweet smell of her shampoo that lingered in her long, brown hair that wafted towards him. Was it the scent of strawberries….with a hint of mint and vanilla? He wasn't 100% sure, but all he knew was right then in that moment, he wanted to suddenly grab her and hold her close to him so he could take in her sweet scent even more. Clenching his fights shut, he cooly resisted. Then, he shyly gave her a once over, noticing how tightly her clothes hugged her slender body. While her attire was no doubt enticing to the male eye, it was not too revealing, which was just like Mina, who hated drawing attention to herself. He thought she looked fantastic, and he tried to relay this to her, however all that came out was a series of nervous, unintelligible mumbling, accompanied by a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks.

"Have you already been drinking?" Mina asked in concern, reaching out to touch his reddened cheeks, "Your face is already a bit red."

Genma reached up to touch his flushed face, which was indeed a tinge hotter than it was before. He laughed nervously, inwardly cursing the transparency of his emotions, "Yeah, just a few sips here and there to lighten the mood." He finally managed to reply. Mina nodded, "Well just let me get my purse. It should be around here somewhere…"

She turned back to face the foyer of her apartment and upon spotting the small black crossbody thrown on the couch, she slung it over her shoulder and walked back toward Genma.

"Okay, we're off and you didn't even have to convince me this time! Aren't you proud?" She grinned cheekily as she and Genma left the apartment and made their way towards the bar. He nodded in approval, "I'm very proud, actually. You're finally going to have a taste of what all twenty-somethings do on a night like this."

"Hey, I've gone out before!"

"Nope" he replied, "It's different now because you'll be hanging around me and my friends."

"And how is that so different, hm?"

"Please, it's the ultimate fantasy for every woman in Konoha!" Genma retorted half-jokingly, "You're going to be the subject of a lot of envy tonight."

"Oh kami, please spare me." Mina replied shoving Genma playfully, "You haven't changed a bit!"

"A perfect sex-god doesn't need to change." said Genma, shrugging with a smug expression.

At this, Mina laughed, knowing that Genma was only half serious. It was precisely this type of witty banter that made her fond of the shinobi. After a brief moment, Mina continued,

"So, is there anyone I should watch out for tonight?"

Genma considered her question carefully, thinking about all the friends that would be at the bar tonight. Raido…Aoba…Kotestu..Izumo…Might Gai..and even Kakashi, somehow. He shook his head, thinking that the only flaws in his friends included that Raido hit on nearly any girl in sight, Kotestu and Izumo still couldn't hold their alcohol well, Aoba usually ditched their party to go make new drunk friends, Might Gai danced embarrassedly all night, and Kakashi usually stayed in their booth with his nose stuck in a book, "Nope, I don't think so." He replied decisively, "If anything you gotta watch out for those creepy guys on the dance floor that'll just sneak up behind you and start grinding against you."

Mina shuddered, "Well then…looks like I'm going to avoid the dance floor..not that I could dance anyway"

The two friends rounded the corner, and finally reached the bar. It was the most popular one at the time, with a line of civilians already stretched outside the door. Genma casually walked up to the bouncer and the two nodded at each other, clearly in some mutual agreement. To the indignation and groans of the people already waiting in line, the bouncer let Genma and Mina into the dim bar crowded with young twenty-somethings that were either dancing, taking shots, or conversing amongst their peers. All the women turned their heads to look at Genma as he walked down the aisle towards a particular booth in the back filled with elite jounin, nearly salivating at his presence. After noticing Mina shuffling behind him, however, these same women clicked their tongues with disgust, and glared at the beautiful medic, judging her every movement and wondering what she possibly could possess to be worthy of being in Genma's presence.

"Looks like we're the last ones here." Genma said to Mina as they approached the booth, "Everyone!" he announced, "Meet Mina, my..friend!" He muttered the last word quietly almost wishing it wasn't true.

The five jounin sitting at the booth looked up at their friend and then at the new, unfamiliar face standing next to him.

"Yo! I'm Raido, and the people beside me are Aoba, Kotestu, Izumo, Might Gai, and Kakashi!" A brown haired jounin with a scarred face stood up to greet Mina, gesturing to his fellow friends who all grinned and greeted her as well.

"It's nice to meet you all!" Mina replied smiling shyly.

"Well isn't she a cute, young thing." Raido muttered under his breath to Aoba, who nodded in agreement. Genma caught this comment, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his friend. "Mina, why don't you sit over here by _Kakashi_ while I go get drinks for us all." He said, guiding her purposefully to the spot next to the silver haired jounin.

Genma gave a knowing look to Kakashi, who nodded and sighed, putting down his book. It wasn't a unique situation. Here, Genma had brought over a pretty woman, and Raido, whether the girl wanted him to or not, would begin to hit on her in exactly three…two…

"So, I haven't seen you here before! Are you with Genma tonight or something?" Raido asked casually, "because if not, I would love to show you the ropes."

Mina blushed slightly and fidgeted nervously in her seat before replying, "Oh, no Genma and I are just friends. He just brought me here to have fun on my night off."

"Just friends you say?" Raido smirked, nudging Aoba underneath the table. Suddenly Genma appeared at the table breathlessly and slammed two pitchers of beer and four bottles of soju down on the table, glaring at Raido. "Enough talking. Let's drink, friends!" He began to pour out and distribute shots of soju for each person at the booth. Kakashi chuckled, noticing that there really hadn't been much talk at all since he left. He had come back with drinks exceptionally fast tonight. There was no doubt: he really liked this girl. Might Gai excitedly turned to Kakashi, "Kakashi, my dearest most respected rival, lets have a competition to see who can drink the most shots tonight!" He pumped his fist into the air, "I feel the vigor of youth in me tonight!"

"Gai," Kakashi said coolly, "You know you're allergic to alcohol, right?"

"Nonsense!" Gai exclaimed, "Nothing can hold back the power of youth tonight!"

Kakashi groaned inwardly, knowing there would be no way to convince Gai to hold back tonight.

"Let's raise our drinks to a toast!" Kotestu said, raising his shot glass in the air. The others followed suit. "What are we toasting to?" Izumo asked, glancing at his friend beside him. "Uhh…" Kotestu rubbed his chin, thinking.

"To new experiences!" Genma finally said winking at Mina, who smiled sheepishly. The others grunted in agreement, echoing "To new experiences!" Then, they downed their drinks quickly.

Mina had drank alcohol before, but she had to admit that she had never gotten use to the burning sensation as it trickled down her throat or the terrible taste. It felt like she was drinking acetone. She coughed a little, while the rest of the experienced jounin were unfazed. Kakashi picked up his book again.

Raido directed his attention toward the beautiful medic nin again, the alcohol bestowing upon him an even greater amount of liquid courage. "So Mina, tell me. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a medic nin who works at the hospital, but I usually work the night shifts." She said in response.

Raido nodded before grinning smugly, "Oh…see that makes sense because I've never seen you around before, and trust me, you're someone that's very hard to missss."

Aoba, Kotestu, and Izumo snickered at their friend's slurred attempt at flirtation, while Genma groaned. Gai, in the meantime had turned bright red like a tomato and seemed to be slipping into a drunken state rapidly. He suddenly stood up slamming his fists on the table, "Kakashi! Come with me! Let us go dance the dance of youth!" He sprung from his seat and leapt over the table, with fire in his eyes, "We must not waste our youth for another second!"

Mina chuckled, amused at this jounin's personality. He was quite unlike anyone she had ever seen before. Meanwhile, Kakashi slid lower into his seat, his book covering his face, hoping to not be associated with the maniac in the green jumpsuit dancing by himself on the dance floor.

As the night wore on, eventually Raido, after numerous lukewarm responses from Mina, moved on to another conquest sitting near the bar, while Kotestu and Izumo, after going shot for shot with another, ended up on the dance floor with Gai. Kakashi, who had drank moderately that night still remained at the booth with Genma and Mina, and together they all stared, slightly horrified yet amused, at the trio of friends dancing in the middle of the room.

"This is why they get no respect," Genma muttered under his breath, "A bit of alcohol and they still can't control themselves. We're shinobi for Kami's sake."

"I seem to remember you having your fair share of black outs though," Kakashi pointed out.

"I wasn't like _this_!" Genma replied indignantly.

"Well you wouldn't remember since you weren't the one taking care of your self, now would you?"

Genma sighed in defeat while Mina laughed at their banter. Kakashi glanced at Mina in his peripheral. She had quite a cute laugh, if he did say so himself.

"So," Mina started, slinging an arm causally over her Genma's shoulders, "When am I going to meet the flavor of the week?" Since her first drink, she had taken only three more shots of soju, knowing that she was considered a lightweight. The little amount of alcohol consumed still served its purpose, loosening her up to the point where she was beginning to feel comfortable and bold, even in a place such as this bar that she would normally shy away from.

At this, Kakashi lowered his book from his face and smirked at Genma. He wondered how his friend would respond.

Genma laughed, nervously rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, "Well you see, I don't really have one at the moment." He said rather hastily.

Mina snorted incredulously, "You lied to me about having a flavor of the week just to get me to go out?! I was looking forward to meeting her! Well that's r-rude!" She slurred her words a bit, slamming her hand on the table, "And it's also unacceptable!"

Kakashi watched as Mina's feigned anger slowly changed into a mischievous smile.

"I know what we need to do. I'll wing you, Genma!" She declared.

Genma, with a panicked look at Kakashi tried to sway his friend.

"No…no what? I don't need that Mina! Come on, sit back down!" he said trying to carefully pull Mina back into her seat as she struggled to stand up.

"I'll find you the hottest woman here, don't you worry!" Mina finally managed to stand up after pushing Genma off her, albeit shakily, and she leaned on the booth for balance as her eyes scanned the room. Even in her half-drunken state, she noticed that a lot of the woman in this bar looked somewhat similar, with their slim, yet curvy bodies, bodycon outfits, pushed up breasts, and pouty lips. They all stood around the perimeter of the room and dance floor in groups, lazily holding drinks in one hand, while scanning the bar for potential suitors. Mina noticed a lot of them glancing at the two jounin in her booth hopefully, trying to catch their eyes, but the two men just sat quietly in their booth chatting to each other, oblivious of the stares and whispers, Genma even more animated than usual and Kakashi, as calm and collected as always.

 _Genma wouldn't want someone that easy._ Mina turned her focus away from the seemingly monotonous groups of woman, scanning the people sitting at the bar instead, when she suddenly noticed a woman there with raven colored hair, stirring an amber drink in front of her slowly. The woman faced away from them, but Mina could tell from her profile that she was stunning, with light colored eyes, and red lips. Even Mina could admit that she exuded confidence and sexuality. Rather than the women who precariously hung around the perimeter in groups, this woman sat alone contentedly, as if she didn't need the attention of a suitor. She leaned forward to take another small sip of her amber drink, and shifted to cross one leg over the other. Mina watched her, in admiration. While Mina still felt like a girl most days, she knew that the person sitting at the bar was full woman. She was perfect for someone like Genma, who also exuded a raw confidence and sexuality that drove girls crazy.

"What about her?" she asked subtly pointing in the woman's direction.

Genma stopped his conversation with Kakashi to peer over at the woman to whom Mina was referring. He was rather surprised at her choice. The woman couldn't have been that much older than him, but something about her aura screamed confidence and maturity. She was a vixen, no doubt, and normally Genma would have already hit on her, if Mina hadn't been the one his heart was so intent on. _How did she know?_ Almost as if he had spoken his thoughts out loud, Mina said "I know you better than you think." She grinned cheekily at the two jounin, clearly proud of herself. Offering a hand to Genma, she continued, "Come on now. In our one year of friendship, I've never seen a shy Genma, especially when it comes to women."

Genma sighed, trying to figure a way out of this predicament, "Look, Mina. I'm just not in the mood tonight."

Kakashi snorted at this statement, "I've also never seen a Genma that wasn't in the mood"

Genma glared at his friend in response. "Not. helping." He muttered under clenched teeth.

Mina groaned impatiently. The alcohol was beginning to hit her even more.

"Fine, but if you're not going to do something. I will!"

Before Genma could stop her, Mina had already stalked away from their booth to approach the mystery woman. As she successfully engaged the woman in conversation, Genma turned to his silver-haired friend in panic with a _what the fuck do I do_ expression. Kakashi just chucked, thinking to himself that this was tragic.

Already too soon, Mina had appeared back at the booth and was motioning for Genma to come with her. The vixen at the bar peered curiously over at the brown haired jounin and flashed a smile when he looked back.

"Come on Genma, I had to talk you up to the heavens, so bless her soul for even being interested! Would you just get your cute little butt up here? Please?" Mina pleaded.

A faint blush crept onto Genma's face to Kakashi's amusement. "You…you think my..b-butt is cute?"

Mina groaned, rolling her eyes and grabbed her friend's hand, involuntarily pulling him up to his feet, "That's so not the point right now!" she hissed.

Much to Genma's chagrin, he was dragged over to the bar, and all he could think about whilst being dragged was about how strong Mina was. " _Was she always this strong or was it some special medical ninjutsu that they taught her in the hospital. It must come in handy when psych patients try to escape."_ He thought while sorely rubbing the spot of his wrist that had finally been released from Mina's death grip.

The raven-haired woman eyed him up and down, as if he was delicious prey for her next meal.

Mina suddenly spoke, gesturing to the jounin beside her "So, this is my friend Genma, who I was telling you about!"

Genma looked up at the mystery woman in front of him and managed a weak wave and a polite smile. "Hey," he said.

The woman smiled back, approving of him now that he was standing before her, "I'm Natsumi. It's a pleasure to meet you." She slid a hand forward, gently touching him on the wrist right where he'd been rubbing it earlier, "Is your wrist okay? I would hate to think that she had to force you over here just to keep me company." She batted her eyes at him seductively, smirking.

Genma had to give it to Natsumi: she definitely knew what she was doing.

"Oh that?" he glanced down at his wrist, "that's nothing. If anything, I was feeling a little tired tonight, but I'm think I'm feeling a bit more awake now," He finally managed to say.

 _That little minx._ Genma shot daggers at Mina who pretended to gag beside him, and for a moment they engaged in some sort of telepathic conversation, glaring at each other.

" _YOU did this to me!"_ his eyes seemed to say.

"YOU'RE welcome!" Mina's eyes shot back.

"Ungrateful man…tsk, tsk…" Mina muttered under her breath so that Natsumi couldn't hear. Finally breaking the glaring contest between them, she patted Genma on the shoulder as if to say 'good luck' before waltzing triumphantly back to the booth to where Kakashi sat, who was feigning interest in the latest chapter of Icha Icha paradise when all he had been doing for the past ten minutes was watch the comedic tragedy unfold in front of his eyes.

Mina plopped back into the booth next to the jounin, quite pleased with herself. Kakashi glanced at her in his peripheral, wondering if the girl beside him could really be so obtuse. _Did she really not know Genma's feelings for her_? He slowly placed his novel down on the table, wondering if it was his place to meddle. After all, he didn't like to get involved in his friend's love lives. Firstly, he didn't really care _that_ much, and secondly, he figured it to be huge bother that he shouldn't needlessly take on. And yet, he felt sorry for Genma. Being set up with another woman by the girl you loved was just plain awkward, and it's not like he could just reject the other woman either, because that would be rather impolite. Plus, he had to admit the woman Mina had chosen for Genma was quite attractive, in fact, she was possibly the most attractive woman in the entire room besides the person sitting next to him; he mentally slapped himself for the latter thought.

"So," Kakashi slowly began, "You don't feel weird setting up your good friend with that woman over there?"

"What? Why would I?" Mina asked.

"Well, she doesn't seem like the one-night stand type of woman, you know?"

"And here I thought you were engrossed in your Icha Icha makeout paradise, when you were actually paying attention?" Mina said, feigning surprise.

"I'm a very perceptive shinobi, I'll have you know.." Kakashi said in response.

Mina shook her head laughing to herself.

"So I've heard. You're pretty famous, even in the halls of a hospital."

"That's interesting. I would hope people would have something more exciting to talk about than a tired shinobi's endeavors," Kakashi said.

"Well, it would help if you didn't land in our hospital beds so often, yeah?"

Kakashi grinned sheepishly, caught, "Ah…well you do have a point there."

"But really, I saw you the last time you were there. You were out cold for two weeks. If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

Kakashi glanced down at Mina, raising an eyebrow, "Isn't this a rather unprofessional question?"

"Ah, well when I'm off-duty, I'm just your everyday regular girl, so can't you just tell me?" Mina asked.

Kakashi stared at the medic nin, amused, thinking she was anything but a regular girl. Regardless he responded, "In short, I over-used my new sharingan. Because I'm not a Uchiha, it drains my chakra like nothing else."

"Ah, I see." Mina said, nodding, "You must have really done something with it though, right? I mean to be out cold for two weeks, you must have done something significant."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a smile, "Well, the details are classified information that I can't divulge to you."

"I understand. A shinobi that's always on duty, huh? How noble."

"I generally try to follow the rules when I can." Kakashi replied, inwardly noting that this conversation had begun to stray far from his original intention. After a brief pause, he said, "They look like they're hitting it off."

Both Mina and Kakashi turned to look at Genma and Natsumi at the bar, who indeed appeared to be hitting it off, with Natsumi leaning in closer to Genma as they continued to talk, brushing her hand causally over his shoulder, flicking off imaginary dust.

"I'm not surprised. Genma's always been great with the girls."

"And, this doesn't bother you?" Kakashi cocked his head curiously, "in the slightest?"

Mina slowly shook her head, with her eyes still fixed on the two at the bar, "Why would it bother me?"

"I don't know. Sometimes male and female friendships can be tricky."

"There's nothing really tricky about our friendship though."

"Is that so?"

Mina finally whipped her head to glare at Kakashi. She was annoyed now.

"What are you implying? If you think there's any weird feelings between the two of us, you're wrong!"

Kakashi stared back evenly, "If there's nothing, then why are you so angry right now?"

"Because you're being annoying!" Mina retorted, huffing. An unusually large sound of laughter came from the bar, grabbing Mina's attention. Genma now had a hand on the small of Natsumi's back, rubbing it in small circles. She seemed to be eating it up, whatever it was that he was doing. "For such a confident and 'I don't need a man' type attitude, she sure seemed like putty in his hands" Mina thought to herself, with a slight tinge of bitterness. _Oh no. I am not bitter. No no no no. no no no._ Now, Genma appeared to be leading Natsumi to the dance floor, and he winked at Kakashi as he did so, his eyes glazing right over Mina who was sitting right next to him.

Kakashi nodded his head in acknowledgement at his friend, and glanced down at Mina, who appeared to be deep in an internal conversation with herself.

"Are you ok?" he finally asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She muttered, rubbing her arm absentmindedly. Kakashi noticed that Genma and Natsumi had begun dancing, quite provocatively, he might add, as she was grinding her backside into his groin, and he in return had placed his hands on her hips, guiding her hips to the music. He hastily snuck another look down at Mina, who seemed far away again. _This is getting more tragic by the minute._

A few minutes passed in silence as the two at the booth watched Genma and Natsumi on the dance floor. As the song ended the raven haired vixen turned around to face the elite jounin, and Genma placed his hands on the nape of her neck, pulling her into a long, wet kiss. The two leaned into each other on the dance floor, her hands slowly snaking up to grab fits of his brown hair, while Genma deepened the kiss, parting her lips to slip in his tongue. Raido howled while Aoba cheered. Beside Kakashi, Mina said nothing, just watching in silence.

Finally she stood up, "I think I'm going to head home now, actually." She turned to face the silver-haired shinobi, "It was nice meeting you, finally."

"Wait," Kakashi said rising from his seat as well noting that it was already one in the morning, "It's not safe for a girl your age to walk home alone this late at night."

"Look, I think I can manage for one night. I kind of just want to be alone, if you don't mind."

"As an upstanding jounin, I'm afraid I just can't let you 'manage for one night,'" Kakashi said.

"Well pretend you aren't an upstanding jounin for one night, why don't you?" Mina retorted hotly, a blush rising to her cheeks.

"What I wish I could," he replied mildly. He could tell she was upset and emotional, and for some reason, this made him a little upset as well. He frowned for a minute, wondering why he even cared. After all, he had only met the girl today, and it was not like him to care that much about strangers, even if they were embodied in a pretty girl. He shook his head, convincing himself that he didn't care, and that he was actually just acting in the kindness of his heart. He pitied her, and he pitied Genma as well. In his eyes, the real winner of the night was that Natsumi woman, but even so, this was just a weird situation from an objective bystander's viewpoint.

"Look," he said gently, "I promise you won't even know I'm here."

Mina heaved a heavy sigh in defeat, and began to walk out of the bar, with Kakashi trailing just behind her, an orange book in hand. Once outside, Mina took a deep breath of fresh air, a welcome change from the boozy, smoky smell from inside the bar. She noticed she was beginning to sober up a little, as she felt she could reasonably stumble home at this point in time. She began to walk in the direction of her apartment, Kakashi in tow. The two walked together silently for the first few minutes. In the distance they could hear drunken laughter and cheering, but that slowly faded into the background as they turned another corner.

"I don't actually have feelings for him."

Kakashi turned to Mina who had suddenly spoken, surprised.

"I just feel weird seeing him like that with her. I mean, I've never seen him really with a girl right in front my eyes. I've only heard stories. I guess it's just strange to me," she said, continuing.

Kakashi said nothing, but he placed in his book back into his pouch.

"But, I'm definitely _not_ jealous. At least not in that way. I love Genma, I really do, but I don't love him like that." She folded her arms, shivering slightly as a breeze passed through the street. "I guess… I guess what I'm feeling is…" she sighed heavily, still walking at a brisk pace towards her apartment. She peeked at Kakashi who walked silently beside her. Not a word had passed from his mouth since they'd left the bar.

"Hey, are you even listening?!" She asked, rather annoyed at his indifference.

"I promised you that you wouldn't even know I was here, didn't I?" He replied finally, "I'm a man of my word."

"Can't you just not be a man of your word right at this very second?" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You know," he began, "you've been asking me to make a lot of exceptions for you tonight…what with the information about how I landed in the hospital for two weeks, the upstanding jounin thing, and now this…"

"At least I'm consistent." Mina muttered.

Kakashi chuckled at her reply, "I'm not really good at this to be honest, the whole being a shoulder to cry on type thing."

"But, I'm not even crying!" Mina pointed out.

The two finally reached her complex, and Mina sank down slowly onto the stairs leading up to her apartment, not wanting to go in quite yet.

"I'm sorry to put this on you, Kakashi," she said quietly, "I don't really understand what's going on with me."

"I'm sorry for myself as well." Kakashi said, wincing as he received a brisk slap on the shoulder from the medic nin. He smiled sheepishly, "But, yeah, I can see why you might be confused."

Prior to this, he had hypothesized that as soon as he walked out of those bar doors with Mina, he might be faced with the task of being an emotional punching bag for the night, and as predicted, here he stood. Was this a feeling of regret that was welling up inside of him?

"I know I don't see Genma as more than a friend, but…" she sighed resting her face into the palms of her hands, "I guess I've just never really seen him so enthralled, for lack of a better word, with another woman that is…as cool as Natsumi, and…"

"You're afraid he's going to forget about you?" Kakashi inquired, finishing her thought.

Mina looked up at the copy-nin, surprised at his response. It was almost as if he had read her mind. Then again, maybe that was the new ability of his sharingan that had landed him in the hospital for two weeks. _Oh come on, don't be stupid._

"Yeah..actually," she said in a quiet voice, "That's exactly how I feel."

Kakashi nodded silently, letting Mina know that he was still listening.

"It seems irrational, I know, because I'm the one who _insisted_ on setting them up, but now look at me!"

Kakashi actually did look at Mina this time; her crumpled figure slumped on the staircase, staring off into the night at nothing. Again, he felt a pang in his heart. Whether it was pity or actual concern, he wasn't sure.

"Human emotions can be pretty irrational sometimes," he finally said, "don't beat yourself up too much, Mina."

"No?" she said in response, "But I kinda feel like I deserve it."

Kakashi sighed, and crouched down to Mina's level. She had now hidden her head between her arms and knees. From her body language, he strongly suspected she might start crying soon, and he absolutely did not want to deal with that. He gingerly placed an hand underneath her arm and began to help her up, "Look," he said hastily, "you still have a bit of alcohol in your system, which is probably not helping." With Kakashi's support, Mina rose shakily to stand, still unable to look the jounin in the eye.

"I think you should just sleep it off. You may feel better tomorrow morning."

He began to walk the petite girl up the stairs.

"You promise?" she asked groggily.

"Uh…sure." Kakashi replied, focusing on making sure the girl didn't misstep in her heels or fall into the gaps between each step. When they finally reached her door, Mina slowly reached into her bag for her keys. After finally grasping the cold metal, she plunged the key into the lock, successfully opening the door after jimmying with the key for a bit. Still with her back turned to the copy nin, Mina could sense him standing right behind her, carefully watching her movements.

"I'm sorry if I burdened you tonight." She said, taking one shaky step across the threshold of her apartment.

He grinned sheepishly at her backside, replying in a more cheerful tone, "It wasn't a big deal. Don't worry about it."

"But I'm sure this isn't how you wanted to spend your evening, no?"

Kakashi hesitated before replying. He knew women could be testy when they were emotional, thinking back to all the times he'd seen Sakura pummel Naruto into the ground, Anko lash out at him or Genma, or Kurenai berate Asuma, so he took care in formulating his next response.

"No, I didn't expect to spend my evening like this…" he admitted, "But, to be honest, it was a lot better than being dragged by Gai to the dance floor."

Immediately she spun around to face Kakashi, "You dance?!" she sputtered incredulously.

Kakashi chuckled nervously, "No, no.." he clarified quickly, "I usually just stand there while he does embarrassing things around me, but that's a story for another time."

"Ah.." Mina murmured, "well then in that case, I'll see you around." She fixed her gaze on the man standing before her, leaned against her doorframe.

He nodded, "Maybe you will." He made a few signs with his hands before vanishing with a puff of smoke, disappearing into the night, just like Genma had done so many times before. _Those damn shinobi_. Closing her door quietly so as to not wake her neighbors, Mina smiled, giggling a little, shaking her head at the image of Gai and Kakashi dancing together to club music. Kakashi certainly didn't seem like a man who could move his hips like _that_. Nonetheless, she admitted to herself that it was a sight she was certainly dying to see. " _Maybe I should go out more,"_ she thought to herself, padding to her bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks had passed since Mina had either seen or heard from Genma or Kakashi, however, she simply assumed that they were just busy with missions, as most shinobi were these days. In turn, she had stayed busy at the hospital too, putting in more effort into her work, even picking up extra shifts occasionally.

Although she wanted to say this was solely because she loved being at the hospital, a small, nagging voice in the back of her head pointed out that she was simply trying to avoid the loneliness that she felt from time to time, which wasn't helped by the fact that Genma had been gone for a while.

Sitting down on her couch, Mina munched on a piece of French bread and butter, which was hardly a true dinner, but she had been too lazy to cook tonight. _Beggars can't be choosers._ Glancing at the clock on her wall, she mentally noted that she had just an hour before she would be expected at the hospital tonight.

Again, as she absentmindedly ate her dinner, she thought back to that night that had she spent at the bar with Genma and Kakashi. Although she had been drunk that night, she hadn't blacked out. She wondered if that had been a grievous mistake though, because upon waking up to a ceremonious headache, she suddenly remembered everything that happened in gross detail. She remembered the impossibly beautiful and cool Natsumi, with her arms flung around her best friend, and she even more vividly remembered Natsumi's red lips on his, as the two stood embracing in the middle of the dance floor, encouraged by all the drunken cheering and whooping surrounding them. She remembered standing up to leave, and Kakashi following her. She remembered almost breaking down on the steps to her apartment in front of the silver-haired jounin. _How embarrassing._ She hadn't even known the copy-nin for more than a few hours, and already she had almost cried in front of him, lamenting all her fears and emotions to an apathetic man that was probably regretting walking her home right at that very moment. She wasn't the type of person that felt the need to hide her emotions from others; however, because it had been Kakashi, she felt ashamed of letting it all out there for some strange reason. Maybe she did actually care what the elite jounin thought of her. _He probably thinks you're this irrational sad person. Great job, Mina._

Mina groaned, exasperated by the memory and forced herself to forget about it for now. There was no use lamenting over something that had already happened. Besides, she hadn't once run into Kakashi her whole life while living in Konoha. What were the chances that she would ever run into him again?

 _Especially because he's probably avoiding you now._

 _Will you just shut up._

A sharp pecking noise on the window diverted Mina's attention. She met the yellow beady-eyed gaze of a black raven that cawed once, cocking its head and ruffling its feathers. She was being called to the hospital early.

At the hospital, Mina stood silently in her superior's empty office, wondering what was going on. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, fidgeting with her hands. She hated uncertainty. While waiting, she assessed the room surrounding her, its plain white walls and sterile white tile floors, furnished with old, sinking wooden furniture and two outdated armchairs. It was strange that the room hadn't been updated in such a long time, but she supposed all the funds of the hospital went to patient care, rather than into the interior design of one office room.

A sudden, short knock jolted her out of her thoughts, and the door opened. To her shock, Tsunade, the fifth hokage, instead of her superior, strode into the room, holding a manila colored patient file between her perfectly manicured fingers. She stopped, standing behind the desk and dropped the file onto the table before raising her head to look at the young medic standing before her.

"So, you are Mina Hashimoto?" she asked, gazing at her evenly.

"Yes ma'am," Mina replied, trying not to sound nervous in front of only the most important person in the village.

"Well, I've called you here to the hospital a little early to commend you on the work you've been doing in the past year," she began, "And…to also ask you to assist me in looking over a particular case." She tossed over the file on the table to Mina, who caught it rather clumsily.

"I'm going to be promoting you to the day shift permanently so you can assist me with this," Tsunade declared, crossing her arms over her chest, "So don't disappoint me and make me regret it!"

"Of course, ma'am, I'll do my best!" Mina said, bowing before the fifth hokage.

"The name of the patient is Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunade barked on, "and he is an important figure of this village that needs to be protected at all costs."

 _Uzumaki Naruto…why did that name seem so familiar?_

"He is also…a jinchukuri, and the host of the kyuubi, or the nine tailed fox," Tsunade said darkly, "therefore, he has different chakra properties and a unique body composition that you need to understand before you can treat him. Look over that case file and meet me in his room in fifteen minutes, understood?"

"Hai, Goidaime," Mina bowed again as Tsunade left the room briskly. For a brief moment, she took in everything that just happened. Being promoted to the day shift was a huge accomplishment for Mina. It meant that she had shown her worth as a medic nin to her superiors and now deserved a spot in the day shift which would allow her to see more patients, some with even more difficult and disastrous conditions, as well as lead a more regular life as opposed to the nocturnal one she had been living ever since she started working at the hospital. A regular sleep schedule was enough to make her feel giddy inside.

She flipped open the manila file carefully, peering within its pages. _Uzumaki Naruto, age 16…_ Mina stared at the tiny wallet sized photo attached with a silver paperclip that showed a blonde-haired teenage boy with piercing blue eyes smiling at the camera. She read through his file quickly, scanning over the notes that had been written by other medical examiners and no doubt Tsunade herself. Indeed, the boy had the ability to heal exponentially faster than other shinobi due to the chakra of the nine-tailed fox sealed inside him; however, the fact that the nine-tailed fox was sealed inside him made Naruto much more sensitive to different medications and treatments. In other words, in order to treat Naruto, medic nins had to use alternative methods of healing as to not disrupt or irritate the flow of the nine-tailed fox's chakra.

" _Interesting…"_ Mina thought as she began to make her way to the west wing of the hospital towards Naruto's room. Upon reaching the room, she slid open the door and strode in. Immediately, all heads in the room turned to look at the newcomer, including that of a certain silver-haired shinobi. He raised an eyebrow, lowering the orange Icha Icha makeout paradise book from his face.

Mina turned to face the jounin, surprised at his presence. Why was he in Naruto's hospital room? Before he could say anything, Mina quickly nodded in greeting and then walked over to stand beside the fifth hokage at Naruto's bed. Among the other people in the room included a nurse who was replacing Naruto's IV bag, a teenage girl with bright pink hair whom Mina had seen running around the hospital before, and Shizune, Tsuande's assistant and right hand woman, otherwise known as one of Mina's superiors.

Naruto sat up in bed holding his thickly bandaged arm. He seemed to be deep in conversation with the pinkette next to him.

"Naruto!" the pink-haired girl scolded, "You can't just go back to training like this!" she placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, "You need to listen to Tsunade-sama. She knows what's best!"

"But Sakura-chan!" he whined in response, "I've been training so hard with Kakashi sensei these days," he gestured over to the aloof jounin leaned against the wall , "and… I finally am starting to feel like I'm getting closer to him.."

At these words, the room fell silent, and Sakura's previously annoyed expression changed. She bit her lip, and her hands fell to her sides. Even Tsunade and Shizune looked rather worried as they glanced down at the blonde-haired boy, who couldn't meet their gaze.

Finally, Tsunade said, "Naruto, it is true you're getting closer to Sasuke through training with Kakashi, but rest is a form of training as well. How are you going to catch up to Sasuke if you can't even mold chakra? "

Naruto said nothing. His head simply drooped even lower in response.

"I can see why you're frustrated, but you have to understand that we are all working together toward the same goal. We all want to bring Sasuke home." Tsunade said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "And you're the only one who can do it."

At this Naruto slowly raised his head to look at the fifth hokage, grinning ever so slightly, his spirits slightly lifted.

"And that's why I've brought in an extra person to help oversee your recovery," Tsunade continued, gesturing to Mina, "Everyone, this is Mina Hashimoto, a medic who works at this hospital. She will be joining Naruto's treatment team in order to help bring about a speedier and more effective recovery."

Mina bowed and greeted everyone once again, "It's a pleasure to be working with you all!"

Naruto, clearly back in full spirits, began to ask questions, "Say, say, granny-ba-chan, is this person a super special medic like you? Can she fix my arm by today?"

At Narutos' question, Tsuande smirked, "Even I couldn't do that, you baka."

Naruto frowned.

"Mina!" Tsunade barked suddenly, "take a look at Naruto's arm and tell me what you see."

Mina immediately rushed over to stand beside Naruto, and placed her hand gingerly over his bandaged arm. A green, steady glow emitted from her palms, as she concentrated her chakra, focusing on trying to locate the chakra networks embedded his arm. She gasped inaudibly, noticing the almost microscopic needlelike incisions that covered his hand. She counted silently in her head, moving her hand over Naruto's. _One….Two…no, Five_! She had found five tiny several chakra networks that had been severed no doubt due to the massive attack of these microscopic needlelike incisions. She wondered what kind of justu Naruto had been hit with, because it certainly could have killed him had it hit his entire body with greater force. The green glow of chakra that emitted form her palms disappeared, and Mina stood up straight to address the hokage.

"I see thousands of microscopic, needlelike incisions that have attacked the chakra networks in Naruto's hand and arm…but I only found five tiny networks that have been severed. The rest should be able to heal in time."

Tsunade and Shizune nodded in agreement at Mina's diagnosis.

"And what kind of care would you recommend to this patient?" Shizune asked.

Mina swallowed nervously before continuing, "I would recommend bedrest for at least one more week, with absolutely no use of his right arm to allow his chakra networks to heal as well as physical therapy afterwards."

Tsunade grunted in approval. "And Naruto, I command you to never use that jutsu again." She said gravely. She glanced painfully at Kakashi who in turn stared at Naruto, trying to gauge his reaction. It was only natural that the young shinobi would react unfavorably toward Tsuande's command. After all, he had been working tirelessly on the jutsu for days, and he had finally surpassed the fourth in creating the rasenshuriken to boot. To hear in the end that he would was forbidden to use such a justu had to be a huge blow.

"Sure, granny ba-chan," Naruto replied, staring dejectedly at his bandaged arm.

Suddenly the door to the room slid open and a frantic medic nin rushed into the room, "Tsunade-sama!" He exclaimed, "You're needed in the operating rooms right now!"

"Alright!" Tsuande barked, and she hurried out of the room after the medic with Shizune in tow, leaving only Mina and the remnants of team 7 in the hospital room.

Mina smiled sympathetically at the blonde-haired boy laying in the hospital bed below her, "I'm sorry Naruto. Maybe you can figure out a way to use the justu without severing your chakra networks?" she offered.

Naruto shrugged despondently, "Maybe."

A deep, calm voice suddenly spoke. "I didn't expect to see you here at this time, Mina."

Mina turned to face the silver-haired jounin who had finally placed his book into his back pouch.

"I could say the same for you, Kakashi-san. It's been a while."

"EHHHH?!" Naruto suddenly perked up, and he pointed incredulously at the two older adults, "you guys know each other?!"

"Say, say, sakura-chan, don't you think this is Kakashi's secret girlfriend?" he flashed a mischievous smile toward his pink-haired teammate who giggled in response.

"She's a very pretty woman, Kakashi sensei. I didn't know you had taste considering all you read are those smut novels!"

"I knew he wasn't single this whole time! He's a pervert for crying out loud!" Naruto said, even more excited now. The two teammates began to whisper loudly to each other, while Kakashi just glared at them, dumbfounded.

"I think I'll have to stop the gossip there guys," Kakashi said, clearing his throat, "Mina and I are just friends."

 _We're friends?_

To kakashi's dismay, the two young shinobi completely ignored him, continuing to gossip and speculate in loud whispers as to the relationship between the pretty medic and their beloved sensei. He sighed, feeling defeated. _They used to be so cute back then and hang onto his every word. Nowadays…_

Mina glanced back at the two shinobi, who seemed to be arguing more now rather than simply discussing the nature of her relationship with Kakashi, the volume of their voices increasing, and she laughed when she caught sight of Kakashi's exasperated expression.

"They seem like a handful, especially for someone like you," Mina remarked.

"More than you know," Kakashi muttered, thinking about all the time he'd spent putting up with his team.

Naruto was frequently boisterous and loud and impulsive and stupid, while Sakura was smarter, yet still loud and aggressive and frightening. With regret, he thought of Sasuke, who had defected from the village a few years ago. He was talented and smart, but arrogant, bratty, and filled with angst. His inevitable defection was something Kakashi had told himself to stop beating himself up over, however, it was much easier said than done, especially after seeing the pain Naruto and Sakura carried around with them for years as a result. They were never the type of people Kakashi would imagine himself spending so much time with, and he certainly never expected to care for them as much as he did; however, at the end of the day, they were his students, for better or for worse, and he truly loved them, even when they were being annoying, which was mostly all the time.

"I didn't know you were a _sensei_ ," Mina said, "You _really_ don't seem like the nurturing type."

Kakashi, jolted out of thoughts, turned his attention to the medic nin standing in front of him, fixing his dark colored eyes onto hers.

"Ah," he grinned sheepishly, "you would be right. I'm not, at all. But, I think the third had other plans for me."

Mina nodded, breaking their eye contact to glance down at her shoes. She didn't understand why she was still feeling a bit shy in front of this man. Perhaps it was still the leftover embarrassment gnawing at her?

"Just wondering, have you heard from Genma or seen him recently?" she asked precariously, wondering if he was allowed to disclose to her the location of her MIA friend.

Kakashi cocked his head, thinking for a moment before responding, "Genma…hmm? Actually, I think Genma has been back from his mission for a few days now. He was here before I came back."

 _He was already back?_

A wave of nausea suddenly hit Mina, her stomach churning, and a large lump had seemingly formed in the back of her throat, making it difficult to swallow. Had he been avoiding her? Or was that Natsumi woman taking up all of his time? But surely Genma couldn't be just avoiding her. What had Mina done to deserve that?

"Is everything okay?" Kakashi inquired, noticing Mina's changed deameanor.

Mina clenched her fists, trying to maintain her composure. After all, she was still at work, and she needed to be professional, which meant not letting petty emotions surface.

She forced a weak smile before responding, "Yes, everything's fine!" She tucked a strand of light brown hair behind ear, and fixed a button on her uniform.

"Anyway, I have to go check on my other patients. It was nice running into you again, Kakashi-san," she said before turning to leave the room.

"Likewise." Kakashi gave a curt wave, staring at the young medic nin as she left, thinking to himself that she was a terrible liar. It was very obvious to him that she was upset, although he wasn't sure why.

Suddnely, Naruto and Sakura burst out into a fit of giggles. Kakashi, narrowing his eyes, turned to his students to glare at them.

Meanwhile, outside in the hospital hallways, Mina was peering down at her clipboard trying to figure out where to meet her next patient. She made her way down the west wing of the hospital towards the waiting room, walking with a brisk pace, her heels clacking down on the white tile floors with every step. She wanted to forget what Kakashi had just told her, and she tried to calm herself by taking deep, slow, even breaths. Even if she was upset, she would throw herself into her work from now on to forget about it. She pushed open the double doors of the waiting room, about to call the name of her next patient, when she spotted a very familiar raven-haired woman filling out a clipboard, standing at the front of the check-in desk. _Oh please no. This has got to be a joke_.

Mina was about to turn around and walk directly back into where she came from when a voice called out to her, "Hey!"

Mina froze, unable to ignore the sudden greeting and slowly turned back around with a pained expression. Natsumi had already made her way from the check-in desk up to Mina. There was no escaping her now.

"You look really familiar!" she said, pointing a freshly manicured finger at Mina, "I swear to Kami I've seen you somewhere before." Natusmi was so close that Mina could smell the acetone and chemical scent of red finger nail polish.

Mina smiled weakly, "Are you sure? I'm just your everyday medic nin here, trying to do my job," she said awkwardly.

"Wait, don't say anything." Natsumi commanded Mina, as she stood there deep in thought, one heel tapping on the white tile floor. Immediately, Mina fell silent. She wasn't sure if she should feel humiliated or not, since Natsumi had clearly forgotten who she was.

Suddenly, Natsumi's expression brightened, as if to say "Aha!"

"You're the girl from the bar! I remember now!" she declared laughing, "Oh my Kami, I was actually hoping to run into you!"

Mina tried to smile again, but it ended up looking like a grimace.

"Oh, yeah! From the bar? Right, right, I remember you too! What's your name again?" She feigned mock surprise at Natsumi's declaration, pretending to have forgotten the raven-haired vixen's name in an attempt to salvage the last remaining pieces of her pride.

"Natsumi!" she replied smiling, "It's so funny that I'm running into you here, isn't it?"

Mina nodded again weakly, thinking that it was _so_ _unbelievably_ funny that she was running into Natsumi right now. Let it be known that life liked to screw around with Mina from time to time, possibly for the amusement of all the dead hokages, and maybe even the sage of the six paths, and this was definitely no exception.

"You know," Natsumi continued, smacking together her pouty red lips, "I was actually hoping that I would run into you so I could thank you!"

 _Oh boy here it comes._

"For what?" Mina offered weakly.

"For setting me up with Genma, of course!" Natsumi said, as if it was the most obvious and natural thing in the world, "He's been such a gentleman, you know, taking me out on all these _exquisite_ dates this past week!"

 _Past week, huh?_

"Oh," Natsumi leaned in closer to Mina so she could smell the scent of her vanilla frosted cupcake perfume, "And the sex…is incredible, absolutely mindblowing. I must have come at least ten times in the past few days," she whispered into her ear.

Mina nearly gagged, trying to mentally block the image of Genma and Natsumi's _incredible_ , mindblowing sex from her mind.

Natsumi finally leaned back to her original position, and placed her hands on her hips, "Although," she pursed her lips, "I'm sure you got it in with that silver-haired one, no? He was pretty stunning as well."

 _What? Is that what Genma thinks too?_

"Oh no, no, no, I think you misunderstand. Nothing happened between Kakashi and me."

"No?" Natsumi raised an eyebrow, "well that's a shame."

"Do you, by chance, know if that's what Genma thinks happened?" Mina blurted out, "does he think that I slept with Kakashi?"

Natsumi shrugged, "I wouldn't know. Genma and I don't do a lot of talking nowadays, if you get what I mean." She said winking at Mina.

Mina had to suppress the overwhelming urge to pull a matrix to avoid being on the end of receiving Natsumi's wink.

"Okay, well, I've gotta run and go see some patients now. It was nice seeing you again, Natsumi." Mina said quickly, trying to escape the conversation as she could not bear to hear any more gross details about her best friend's sex life with Natsumi.

"I'll see you around, bar girl!" Natsumi said, waving before marching back up to the front desk to hand in her clipboard. Mina nearly sprinted past the ER doors and back into the safe haven of 'staff only' hallways.

"Awesome!" She cried out loud when finally out of earshot of the ER doors, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she tried to imitate Natsumi's irritating voice.

A few nurses and medics passed by Mina, giving her weird looks.

 _Well that's just great._

Thankfully, the next few hours of her shift went by uneventfully, and Mina found herself clocking out at an early time of 8 pm so that she could go home and get a good night's rest before her first, official day shift the next day. She peeled off her medic nin's uniform and changed into her civilian clothes, stuffing the dirty, tan-colored outfit into her bag before walking out of the hospital. Although most families at this time were either finishing up dinner, and the sun had almost disappeared from the horizon, Mina smiled, feeling as if she had all the free time in the world to go do whatever she wanted. All the restaurants and some shops here and there were still open, after all.

She walked down the streets of Konoha, enjoying the calm, peaceful night that had settled down around the village. Although her day had some slightly annoying surprises, at least she could relax now. She continued walking in slience for the next few minutes, mindfully appreciating the beauty of the village at night. She loved her home, Konoha. It was the only thing she'd ever known, but it was still more than enough for her. She didn't feel the need to travel across the earth toward different lands, to experience the culture of other villages. Instead, she liked to remain right where she was to relish in the comfort of familiarity and predictability. Her feet came to a halt when she realized that she was passing by the cemetery.

 _Should I say hi to Haru and mom and dad before I go?_

After a brief pause, Mina decided to walk into the cemetery to visit her family after all. She hadn't been to see them in while, and she wanted to update them on how her life was going thus far, not that she believed that they were listening, but to some small degree, Mina still hoped that they were. She pushed back the black iron gates and entered the massive field, dotted with thousands of gray tombstones. She leaned down into the grass to pick up a bundle of wildflowers as she headed to Haru's grave first. Brushing off some dust and dirt that had accumulated on his tombstone, she placed the bunches of wildflowers into the adjacent vases attached to the grave. Satisfied with her work, she stepped back to inspect the grave, noting that it still looked the same as when she had first been forced to see it a few years ago.

 _He would've just turned twenty-three_.

"Hey, Haru." She began to say quietly out loud, hoping that no one else would come into the cemetery to hear her pathetic monologue, "I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while. Work's been really picking up."

She paused, brushing one fat, hot tear that escaped from her eye off her face, "But that's a good thing because it keeps me really busy. And it's good to be busy nowadays. I used to hate being busy because I was tired all the time, but now, I think being busy is what keeps me sane. By the way, I've been promoted to the day-shift now at the hospital, so I can finally afford to have regular sleep hours." Mina sniffed, "and I met this boy today who reminded me a lot of you, personality wise. And this boy was arguing with his female teammate right in front of me, and it was really really funny to me, but it was also kind of sad because it reminded me of us, and how we used to bicker like crazy…It would drive mom and dad insane." Mina sighed, forcing a laugh, trying to suppress the sadness that was threatening to bubble up and spill out, "Oh, and one of my closest friends, Genma…you remember him right? He's visited you here before with me. Anyway, I think I'm having some sort of conflict with him at the moment, and I'm not too sure what to do. If you were here, I might ask you since you're a guy, and only guys can understand the minds of other guys, you know?"

Mina continued, "But, I mean you weren't a guy back then…you were just an seven year old boy, with the same hopes and dreams as any of us. If you could have stuck around, you would be considered a guy now, in my eyes, at least." She laughed at herself, thinking that if anyone heard her speaking right now, she might sound like a blubbering fool.

"But for the most part, I'm doing okay, and I'm happy," she said, "It's just sometimes, I really miss you guys."

Mina fell silent, finding that she had nothing positive left to say to the grave of her kid-brother. She leaned back on her heels, digging into the soft earth.

 _I wonder if you can hear me up there._

A few tombstones off, Kakashi stood awkwardly in front of his teammate, Obito's grave, having heard absolutely everything Mina had just conveyed to her dead kid-brother. He had tried not to eavesdrop, but his super sensitive hearing that usually came in handy so many times throughout his shinobi career had picked up every last word. _She doesn't even know I'm here._

Kakashi noted that all Mina had to do was turn exactly 85 degrees in his direction to catch him standing there, guilty of overhearing everything she had just said. _That's not going to go over well._ Finally, the copy-nin decided to alert her of his presence. He coughed, clearing his throat.

Mina jumped immediately, whipping her head around, "Who's there?" she asked in a startled voice, blindly turning her head in the darkness.

 _Her eyesight must be bad_. Kakashi thought to himself.

"Uh," he began meekly, feeling awkward, "it's just your everyday upstanding jounin."

"Oh," Mina dropped her pretense, recognizing the voice that spoke back to her from the darkness, "It's just you, Hatake-san."

"You sound so disappointed," Kakashi said, walking toward Mina so they could both now see each other even in the night, "Were you expecting something else. Like a ghost?"

"No, of course not."

 _OH KAMI._

"Did you hear everything I just said?!" she hissed suddenly, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks.

Kakashi hesitated, "I want to say no," he replied, "really."

"Oh kami…" Mina groaned, bringing her hands up to rub her temples, "I always seem to making a fool out of myself in front of you."

Kakashi chuckled, "And it makes for great entertainment, you see, so I'm not complaining."

Mina rolled her eyes at his remark, and grinned sheepishly, "I'm just hoping you're not judging me. I mean for all I know, you could be a stalker who followed me into the cemetery at 8pm at night. That's even weirder than all of I things I've done in front of you combined."

"Actually," he said, "I would like to point out that I was here before you. You came in and didn't see me at all."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well"

"It looked like you were deep in thought."

Mina shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I was."

"I'm sorry to hear you lost someone close to you."

Mina nodded in thanks, "Me too."

The two fell silent for a moment, taking in the way they both stood in the graveyard comfortably, as if it was a familiar place to both of them.

"What about you?" Mina asked, "If you're here, you must be missing someone."

"That would be my teammates," he replied finally, "and my sensei, as well."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." He replied curtly, "I don't usually share the private parts of my life with most people."

"Like how you visit a graveyard every day to talk to your teammates?"

At this, Kakashi raised an eyebrow. _How did she know?_

Noticing his surprised expression, Mina quickly clarified, "I can tell by the way you're standing here. Most people might feel a little spooked out, being in a cemetery at night. But…I'm getting the feeling that you're actually very comfortable here, maybe even at peace."

"That's perceptive." Kakashi commented, wondering how she had picked up on all of that.

"I should have been a shinobi, I know!"

"By the way," she added, "you said you don't share the private parts of your life with _most people_."

"Yes, I usually don't."

"Am I still just 'most people' to you?"

Kakashi peered curiously over at the medic nin, wondering what she was up to. "Well, if you put it like that, I guess you're more of an acquaintance."

Mina pouted. "Oh come on, Hatake-san," she said, "that's not what you told Naruto and Sakura today."

"Ah.." Kakashi chuckled nervously, "you got me there, " he admitted remembering the earlier scene at the hospital. "At least one person wasn't ignoring me then."

"Well, then…" Mina proposed, "how about this?"

Kakashi heaved a sigh. _Oh no, here it comes_.

"I tell you why I'm here, and then you tell me why you're here."

"Aren't we both just here to mourn our loved ones?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, we are indeed but," Mina continued, "How many people do you know that visit the cemetery as often as you? People don't just willingly sit in front of a tombstone on a Wednesday evening when they could be out enjoying life rather than mulling over the dead. There's a reason why people behave the way they do. There's a method to the madness, always."

Kakashi considered these words carefully. It was true that he was probably the only one in the village who visited Obito and Rin's graves daily, which more often than not got him into trouble as he usually lost track of time, causing him to be late to meet up with Naruto and Sakura whenever they had missions or turn in reports to the Hokage's office.

Kakashi directed his next question toward Mina, attempting to divert her attention from him onto herself, recognizing that this could easily turn into an bothersome situation for the older shinobi. "So," he said, "then what's your excuse?"

The two left the graveyard together to settle down onto a bench underneath a dimly lit streetlamp, its yellow light occupied by two mosquitos that buzzed around it incessantly.

Mina began to tell her story first. She was born into her family the eldest sibling, with a little kid-brother in tow named Haru, just one year younger. All the memories she had left of her childhood suggested that she had lived happily with her mother, father, and Haru at first. Her parents owned a bookstore, and they lived in the apartment above it. Everyday, her mother would bring Haru and Mina down to the store and allow them to pick out any book they wanted for the day. Mina chose from a wide variety of genres, already reading tediously long chapter books at the age of eight, while Haru mostly picked easy picture books that told long, lost tales of incredible shinobi and kami-level ninja that had saved some village or some family in one way or another. Haru loved those stories, and he would spend his days running around the streets, grasping a fake kunai in his right hand, pretending that he was a full-fledged shinobi on a mission. He had not yet been able to enter the academy, as her parents had already expressed that Haru was to take over their business when they were long gone. They had no need for a shinobi in their household. Haru relented, but her parents wouldn't budge, and he was forced to attend regular schooling to learn the basics of how to manage a family-owned business. He wasn't happy.

Mina, on the other hand, helped out in her parents bookstore on most days, but as she was the daughter of the family, she was lucky enough to be able to decide her own future, so long as it didn't involve the likes of shinobi. Growing up, she never understood why her parents so despised shinobi. Even the way they said the word…it was like they were spitting it out with contempt, with prejudice. Regardless, she tried to keep the peace between her brother and parents, even though it was virtually impossible. When Haru's seventh birthday passed, he and her parents were getting on worse than usual. Haru was at the age where he could now talk back. Their parents hated it. They would call him disrespectful and callous and reprehensible. Why he would ever want to be among the likes of shinobi was beyond them.

Mina noticed Haru becoming more and more impatient. Sometimes, he would sit outside the Academy by a swing and watch as fleets of kids even younger than himself graduated to become shinobi. On particularly rebellious days, Mina would try to reach out to her kid brother and convey their parent's side once again, only wanting to keep the peace. _They just want what's best!_ She would say. _They love you!_ She would insist. Haru would always bicker back. _They don't know what's best for me_. He would retort. _If they loved me, they would want me to be happy._

Then one fateful night, someone released the nine-tailed fox spirit to wreak havoc on the village. Mina and Haru had just been coming back from an impromptu trip to the convenience store, when they heard the screams. Mina had grabbed Haru's hand. _Come on!_ She insisted. _We have to get to the shelter._ Haru had wrenched his hand out of hers, shoving her aside. _How can you say that?_ He asked. _Our parents are still out there!_ Mina, struck with fear didn't know what to say to that. All she knew is that her parents and her teachers had instructed her to always evacuate immediately to the shelter if the village was being attacked. There would be no time to go back home to collect belongings, valuables, or others. She reached out for Haru's hand again. _Haru!_ She cried. _We have to go_. Debris had started to fly around, as buildings were destroyed. She could smell smoke burning as well from somewhere. Parts of the village were on fire. _Our parents will be waiting for us at the shelter, I promise!_ Haru slapped away her hand from his and began backing away from her. _You don't know that._ He spat. _I can't just stand around and do nothing_. He said. _Haru, please wait!_ She cried. But by then, it was already too late. Haru had turned around and ran in the direction of their home. Mina stood for a moment, dazed, wondering what she should do. Her body was paralyzed with fear, as she started to realize that she might be losing not only her parents, but also her little brother tonight. She screamed, hitting herself, trying to get her legs to move out from under her, but it was useless. She was frozen. Helpless and in shock, Mina began to weep in the middle of street.

A few seconds later, she heard people running towards her direction. A male voice had shouted at her. _Little_ _Miss!_ He said. _You have to come with us! We need to get you to safety._ Mina shook her head, still unable to move her legs. As the shinobi hoisted her over his shoulder finally, she began to sob even louder. He bounded away from the street and away from the direction of their home. _My little brother!_ She was trying to say. _He's still out there with my parents!_ But her lips couldn't form coherent words, and the shinobi had just looked sympathetically at her after dropping her off at the shelter before bounding away again.

A few hours had passed, and finally, the calamity outside the shelter had calmed down. They were informed that the nine-tailed-fox had been sealed. The village was saved. Mina stumbled outside of the shelter and into the destroyed streets of Konoha along with the other civilians like zombies. They stared blankly at the abhorrent destruction and ruin. Mina looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her parents or her kid-brother somewhere. She hadn't been able to locate them in the shelter, but maybe now she could find them. She turned her head to the right and to the left, twisting her body, craning her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of a familiar face, but she couldn't find anyone. Oddly, she began to run away from the shelter towards the direction of her home, being careful not to step on the dead bodies or piles of debris that lay on her path, her own body suddenly coming to life. _They had to be okay._ She thought. _They had survived, somehow_. After ten minutes of sprinting, Mina skidded to a stop in front of what used to be their bookstore, panting as she hunched over to place her hands on her knees. She decided to sort through the rubble. _If I don't find their bodies here, that means they must be alive._ Mina got down on her hands and knees and desperately began to pull off pieces of burnt wood and shriveled books from the pile of rubble. She kept digging, thankful that all she could feel was wood, ashes, and papers. Still, she hadn't gotten to the bottom of the massive pile yet, so she kept at it, her fingers scratched and bloody from the task.

Suddenly, as she finally began to reach the bottom of the pile of rubble, she felt cloth. Grasping it between her fingers, she began to dig more rapidly with her free hand. _No_. She thought to herself. _No. No. No_. Tears began to fall from her eyes, as she began to uncover a small body. _Oh Kami no. Please no._ She stopped digging and fell to the ground in a fit of sobs. Her brother Haru laid there dead, underneath the pile of rubble.

It was only later on that week, after her parents had not come home, that Mina had realized her parents had been slain by the nine-tailed fox as well. She sat dejectedly in front of what used to be her home, unable to move, feeling empty, raw, and numb. She kept asking herself why hadn't she just run after her kid brother. Why didn't she just listen to him in the first place? Together, they could've looked out for each other. Together, they could've searched for their parents. Why had she been such a coward back then? How could she let Haru die?

For a years after, the death of her family plagued Mina as she struggled to find a place in society. The bookstore had not been rebuilt, so Mina had simply lived in a small, moldy apartment given to her by the government. Once she was old enough, she began working odd jobs to make rent and pay for food. She wasn't really much living as she was surviving, however, she didn't really care either way. Sometimes, she wanted to join Haru and her parents, wherever it was they may be, but she never had to courage to end her own life. She was too weak, once again.

Mina continued to live like this year after year: waking up, going to work mindlessly, coming home, and going to sleep. She hadn't the courage to visit her family's tombstones since their funeral. She felt too ashamed. She blamed herself for their deaths.

Kakashi didn't say anything this whole time, intently listening to her story. He wondered if Danzo hadn't confined him to the boundaries outside Konoha if he could have saved her family.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, "That's a terrible burden to have on your shoulders."

Mina nodded solemnly, "it was really the darkest time of my life," she admitted, "If someone had told my old self back that that I'd be a successful medic nin now, I would have laughed in their face."

"But how did you get from the girl you were then to who you are now?" he inquired.

At this, Mina smiled, thinking back fondly to the memory of a certain, brown-haired shinobi, with a senbon sticking out of his mouth, walking up to her as she sat sobbing by her brother's grave.

"Genma helped me a lot that day," Mina said, "He kinda just looked at me, pale, skinny, bones and all…he just looked at me and scoffed."

"He scoffed?"

"Yeah. I was so taken aback. Nobody since that night ever looked at me or treated me with anything other than pity. His reaction kind of shocked my system," Mina continued, "I remember staring back at him for a few seconds before he finally motioned at me. He told me to get up and follow him. And for some reason, I did. We walked across the cemetery over to the memorial created for all those who perished in the attack, and we stood silently in front of it for a minute. He told me to look at the stone. Look at the letters carved into the stone carefully. And so I did, noticing the countless names, the countless lives lost and sacrificed that night. I felt even more pain, knowing that there were others out there who had suffered similar losses to mine. People had lost their mothers, sons, fathers, sisters, and brothers too. Everyone had lost something that night, whether it be family or friends or a sense of safety. He told me his parents were on there too. He pointed underneath the fourth line of names. He turned to look at me and said he was sorry for scoffing at me earlier. I didn't say anything still. He continued, saying he had watched me come here before to cry. He thought it was pitiful. I still couldn't say much."

Kakashi nodded to show he was still listening to her story and was not instead dozing off like he might have if it had been any other person sitting beside him.

"He then told me to stop shaking. I hadn't realized I was shaking. He took off his flak jacket and placed it over my shoulders, like a warm blanket. He told me to think, long and hard about why I was still here, while countless others were not so lucky. I had just thought it was because I had crummy luck. No, he said, almost as if he had read my mind. The reason why I was still here was the same reason why he was still here. We had a purpose, and we had a responsibility to create a life for ourselves, even if our loved ones were gone. If I really wanted, he said, I could go into the medical field and learn how to take care of the sick, the wounded, and the injured. That could give me a purpose. Or, he joked, I could adopt a dog, which would certainly give me another reason to get out bed. Finally, he told me that my family wouldn't want to see me so sad, years after they had passed. They would want me to be happy. In fact, they had probably already forgiven me."

Mina sniffled a little at the memory of those words. As soon as Genma had mentioned that her family had probably already forgiven her, she suddenly felt as if she was free, free from all the burden and the sadness and the pain that she could not escape for years, free to go out and selfishly create a life for herself instead of suffering in her squalid, dark apartment. It was as if he had given her permission to be happy. No one had ever done that before.

"I never saw Genma again, nor did I ever learn his name until just a year ago when I saw him trying to sneak out of some girl's window at 5 am in the morning." Mina said, still deep in thought.

Kakashi chuckled, "that sounds just like the Genma I know."

Mina laughed, agreeing with the copy-nin.

"I don't even think he knows that the crying, shaking, pale, malnourished girl he found in the cemetery was me."

"No?" Kakashi cocked his head.

"No. I had become this completely new person because of him, but even I have to admit that I had become kind of unrecognizable compared to my old self."

"So he never said a word about that incident?"

Mina shook her head. "He always references the first day we met as the night I saw him fatefully sneaking out the window, like the player he is."

Kakashi nodded, closing his eyes, trying to picture what Mina might have looked like years ago. He wondered if it would bare any resemblance to the shadow of a person he had been after Obito, Rin, and Minato-Sensei's deaths.

"But enough about me. I think it's time I hear your excuse, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi opened his eyes and met her even gaze. Her voice sounded rather cheerful considering the story she just told. _Weird._ This woman was definitely more than meets the eye, and he admitted that he felt comfortable sitting next to her, just talking, even if it was about morbid and depressing subjects. He wondered if maybe it was because she was so open herself, as it was clear she had no qualms in divulging her intense life story to an acquaintance. Usually, people might have a little more reserve.

She was different than the others, in that he couldn't sense an ounce of judgment in her eyes when she looked at him, or in her voice when she asked him a question. _She really hasn't heard about how my team fell apart._ Kakashi sighed, considering that maybe he wasn't ready for someone like Mina to know his story. Although most of the village now respected Kakashi highly as an elite jounin who was known to save and serve the village in countless numbers of way, he still sometimes heard whispers of 'friend killer' as he shuffled around town.

"Actually," Kakashi started, "it's getting rather late, and I think I have to be up early for mission tomorrow morning." He rose off the bench, stretching quickly before offering a hand to help Mina up.

"What?" she protested, "that's so uncool, kakashi! Mission my ass."

All Kakashi could do was grin sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Another time, Mina." He said.

Mina rolled her eyes, and folded her arms across her chest.

"Yeah, yeah.."

Kakashi smirked underneath his mask, amused at the medic nin standing before him, grumbling to herself. She sure made a pretty picture.

"I told you I'm a man of my word."

"Am I supposed to trust that?" she retorted.

"Have I broken my word to you yet?"

Mina considered this question, scoffing because they'd only know each other a few weeks. How was she supposed to know whether he was a man true to his word when they barely knew each other?

"I suppose not!" She said, " _Yet._ "

Kakashi grinned, "Good. Now we're on the same page."

He reached out to ruffle the medic nin's hair, and with satisfaction, noticed a light pink blush rising to her cheeks as he did so.

"Another time, okay?"

Surprised that he had reached out to touch her like that, Mina almost forget to respond. Her melodramatic, irrational side was telling her that time had frozen, and it was just her and this handsome older shinobi having a moment as non existent cherry blossoms swirled around them, while her more rational and mature side argued that a simple 'ruffling of the hair' was more akin to what someone would do to a beloved pet, not a love interest. _Ouch_.

Kakashi gave a casual wave, his eyes crinkling, before disappearing into the night air with a puff of smoke. _Those damn shinobi._ They always used that jutsu to pop in and out to avoid unfavorable situations . Kakashi was no better than Genma! Still, on the journey home, Mina couldn't help but reach up gingerly to touch the top of her head where Kakashi had ruffled her hair only moments ago. She couldn't shake the feeling that something about the nature of their relationship had changed.

* * *

Hellooo, I finally posted the third chapter, which was my favorite chapter to write so far. Hope you are all enjoying the story thus far. I realize there's not a lot of drama or mention of war yet, but there will be soon in time! At this point in the story, Naruto, Kakashi, and all of them had just finished killing Hidan and Kakazu, if you didn't pick up on that. This story will take us through pain's arc as well as the fourth shinobi war arc. So stay tuned for that :')

update: I think i've finally fixed all the age discrepancies! I thought I had earlier, but actually, I left a lot behind...BUT it should be ok now sorry sorry everyone i didnt plan the timeline out too well!


	4. Chapter 4

With a sign escaping her lips, Mina launched herself onto her bed, sinking slowly into the soft mattress, wrapping the white cotton sheets around her body. Was it an exaggeration to say that this was her favorite spot in the entire world?

The clock sitting on her bedside table displayed 6:00 PM in big red numbers _._ Mina closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to relish the feeling of the sheets wrapped loosely around her body, to savor the feeling of her back sinking slowly into the mattress, and to enjoy the feeling of a refreshing autumn breeze that slipped in from her open window brushing over her body. An orange light emitting from the window indicated that the sun was beginning to set.

Her feet ached, and her neck and shoulders felt stiff from being on her toes the whole shift. She was scheduled to see one patient after another, and if she wasn't attending to patients, superiors were pulling her into their operating rooms so she could watch their surgeries. _So this is what it's like to be day shift worker._ Reaching down to rub the soles of her feet, Mina swelled with pride. All the sores that would surface on the soles of her feet the next day were like a badge of honor, a callous display of unwavering effort and determination. It had been a while since Mina felt so proud of herself.

A week had passed since her promotion, and everyday brought a new challenge to the hospital. Under her new superiors, she learned several new healing techniques, even being lucky enough to be able to witness Sakura demonstrate how to extract a metal-based poison from the bloodstream, using chakra infused bubbles. Although the girl was seven years her junior, she was, after all, still the Hokage's pupil, and Mina still had much to learn.

As the medic leading Naruto through physical therapy at the hospital, she naturally became familiar with Sakura and even Sai, who showed up to these sessions to support their teammate through recovery. Even Kakashi would show face, walking in without a word to go stand in a corner and read his Icha Icha. At first, Naruto and Sakura would continue to whisper loudly, giggle, and make obnoxious gestures between their sensei and the medic while Sai, who would look up from his sketch from time to time, stared at them blankly. Kakashi, however, continued to flip the pages even in the midst of snickers, his eyes scanning the text of his novel, giving no indication that he was even paying attention to anything in the room besides his beloved Icha Icha. This sheer lack of reaction or acknowledgement from their sensei was discouraging to the two teenagers, to say the least.

Ever since the night spent sitting outside the cemetery, Mina began to bump into Kakashi more and more. Luckily in all these encounters, he was healthy and walking rather than ill and laying splayed out on a hospital bed like most of the people she saw frequently. Both being busy adults, neither had the chance to say much to each other usually. Their communication was limited to a quick nod here and there in the corridors of a hospital, a wink from Kakashi at times in the physical therapy room when his students sulked due to his lack of reaction to their jests, and a smile from Mina when she noticed how fast Naruto was recovering.

"Just a few more days, and you'll be out of here in no time, Naruto-kun!" she declared after their checkup today, "Your hand seems to be healing even faster than we expected."

Naruto pumped his free fist into the air, "All right!"

Sitting beside him in chair, Sakura looked up from her apple peeling and beamed at Naruto. Even Kakashi glanced up from his book at Mina's statement, peering curiously at his student. _Well, that's just what you would expect from the number one most unpredictable ninja._ His eyes flickered back to the pages of Icha Icha.

Mina finished scribbling notes onto her clipboard and rose to stand.

"Well, I'll be off, then. See you all later!"

She smiled when she heard Naruto yell out a 'thank you Mina-chan!' as she drew back the sliding door and exited the room. In her eyes, there was not a single experience more gratifying in the entire world than the feeling of helping someone.

Still wrapped up in the sheets strewn on her bed, Mina rolled over to her side, resting her head in the palm of her hand. Although work was going well, she still hadn't heard or seen her best friend, Genma, in nearly three weeks. She let out a sigh. _Was he really just busy with Natsumi and missions or was he secretly avoiding her? If so, what had she done to earn the cold shoulder? Was he angry because he thought that she had slept with Kakashi? Was Natsumi spreading these lies too in order to keep him within the clutches of her perfectly manicured fingers? What in Kami's name was going on?_

To an outsider's perspective, it might have appeared as if Mina was worrying over nothing. After all, shinobi and medics in particular could be some of the busiest people in the village, often foregoing sleep and social interactions in order to carry out the high demands of their careers. Yet, Genma had never simply been gone for this long without a word. It wasn't like him.

Mina frowned, her eyes downcast, fixed on the drab green-carpeted floors of her bedroom. She hated that she made Natsumi out to be some evil spawn in her head that lived simply to separate her from Genma. Although she could be a little overbearing, Natsumi was not an evil woman, and Mina couldn't blame her for her failing relationship with Genma. In reality, maybe Genma was simply one of those friends that disappeared once they got into a serious relationship.

Frustrated, Mina exhaled loudly. Anyone could sit in bed all day and wonder about why people acted the way they did without ever coming to an answer. As much as she liked to believe that she understood others, she admitted that there were just some things she would never know without confrontation.

The clock on her beside table read 6:15 PM. Mina shifted to sit up, no longer lying sprawled across the bed. She had made up her mind: she was going to find him herself instead of waiting for him to come to her. Pulling on a pair of heeled sandals and shrugging into a light gray sweater, Mina opened her front door, walked out of her apartment, and shuffled down the stairs into the street below.

Outside, the sun was in the midst of lowering itself below the heads of the five Hokage's, casting a warm glow onto the streets of Konoha. Civilians were still bustling about, and kids raced down the streets with their schoolmates, savoring the last few minutes of freedom before they'd be forced to return home for dinner.

Despite the pleasant atmosphere, Mina walked briskly, her head whipping around in every which direction trying to catch sight of a familiar jounin face. Even though Genma had chosen to go MIA, Mina reasoned that his friends must be around here somewhere. She walked for about ten minutes before spotting a familiar scarred face inside a teahouse. _Of all his friends, did I really have to bump into this one?_

"Raido!" Mina grimaced. "I don't know if you remember me, but—"

"Mina!" Raido rose from the wooden bench to greet her. "It's been a while, but of course I remember. You're not an easy face to forget."

"Right…I was hoping you might know where Genma is?"

Raido raised an eyebrow. "Genma?"

"Yep."

Raido scratched his head. "Well, I ran into him earlier at the training grounds, but I'm not sure whether he'd still be there or not."

Mina's eyes widened in surprise, thanking the heavens that Raido was turning out to be a useful guy after all, "Oh, really? Well, I think I'll try to see if I can catch him there anyway."

She turned around, intending to leave before he say anything else. She wasn't nearly fast enough.

"Well, it's going to be getting late soon. Are you sure you don't want to join—" he began

"I'm good, Raido!" Mina interrupted, "Really, Thank you so much."

She backed away from the table smiling as politely as possible before ducking underneath the flaps of the teahouse. _The Training grounds huh?_

As a medic, Mina had never visited the training grounds before; however, she did have an idea of where they were located, as Genma often left to go there from her apartment sometimes, presumably to meet up with his team. Her legs began to move a little faster as she quickened her pace. She wanted to make it to the grounds before Genma left.

After five minutes of half-powerwalking half-sprinting, Mina finally reached the wire fences that surrounded the training grounds. Unfortunately, there were several sections of grounds, and Mina wasn't allowed access inside. All she could do was walk around its perimeter and try to peer in through the fence, hoping to see a familiar face.

Squinting her eyes and covering her face with a hand to block the sun, Mina could still only see a few unfamiliar shinobi lounging around, probably taking a break from training for dinner. Genma was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, a flash of green whizzed by her, leaving behind a cloud of dust. _What the—_

Just as soon as the dust had cleared, the flash of green whizzed by again leaving a flurry of leaves and uprooted grass stalks behind in its wake. Mina stepped back before the green flash could whiz by again. _What is that thing?_

She began to hear a low voice as the green flash raced by the perimeter of the training grounds. _Is someone singing?_ Mina's head whipped around to check behind her. No one was there. She squinted at the green figure, trying to make out what it could possibly be.

First, she noticed the green obviously, but as she scanned the figure up and down, she noticed a flicker of blue. _Are those ninja sandals?_ The low singing voice grew louder as the green began making its way back over to Mina. Shutting her eyes, she prepared to be enveloped in a cloud of dust as the flash sped on, growing closer and closer, however, the grainy taste of sand and dirt never came. After a moment, Mina opened one eye, wondering why she wasn't covered again in dust at this very moment. As her vision sharpened, a round, tan face framed by unbelievably bushy eyebrows materialized, leaning in close to hers. Mina screeched, startled by the proximity of this face, stumbling backwards.

"Woah there, miss!" That same low voice spoke, "I didn't mean to scare you."

The man in front of her gave her a thumbs up, flashing a cheesy smile, "I was just doing my thousandth lap around the training grounds!"

"Might Gai?!" Mina sputtered, "that was you?"

"Huh?" Gai leaned in even closer to the female standing in front of him, rubbing his chin, sizing up her disheveled appearance. She looked vaguely familiar, but he just couldn't put a finger on why.

"How do you know my name?" Gai suddenly shifted, crouching into a defensive position. "Who are you?!"

"Oh, I met you a few weeks ago at the bar! I came with Genma!" Mina clarified with a nervous laugh.

"Genma?" Gai said this out loud as he tried to remember if he had indeed met such a girl. He sighed after a few seconds, realizing that Genma must have introduced him to over twenty girls at the bar alone in the past few months. He let out a low chuckle.

"I'm sorry, miss. Genma has too many girls for me to keep track of nowadays."

"Ah," Mina said, feeling rather sick to her stomach, "Well, I'm just a friend…so it's a little different."

A brief moment of awkward silence passed.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you'd seen him recently. Raido told me that he was here earlier!"

"Hmm, indeed…" Gai muttered, scratching his chin, "But I think he left a while ago. I've been here since 5 in the morning training, so I've seen anyone and everyone who's been in these grounds. He might be at home by now."

"Home?" It dawned on Mina that she didn't even know where her best friend lived, as he had always come to her first, sneaking up behind her when she was hanging around the village or knocking on her door randomly in the afternoon.

"Well, thank you Gai for your help."

"Of course! It is my duty as an upstanding shinobi to help all the youths in any way I can!" Gai flashed a sparkling smile again and saluted her before bounding off to complete more laps around the training grounds.

She walked aimlessly for a couple minutes, not looking up from the ground as she shuffled through the village. Eventually, she reached the grassy riverbank where she had seen Genma a few weeks ago. Exhausted, Mina took refuge under a large Oak tree, resting her back against its sturdy trunk and closing her eyes briefly.

"I don't really like to share my favorite spots with most people, you know."

Mina's eyes popped back open. The voice seemed to come from above her. She raised her head, catching a glimpse of a army green flak jacket and silver hair.

"Oh, it's just you Kakashi," she said, lowering her head.

"Why so dejected? Does the sight of me make you that sad?" Kakashi deftly dropped to the ground, landing squarely on his feet in front of Mina, grasping a dogeared copy of Icha Icha between his fingers.

"It's nothing."

 _Uh oh_. In all of his years of living, Kakashi knew that when a woman said something along the lines of 'it's fine' or 'it's nothing,' that could only mean one of two things: either he was in huge trouble and he should get out of here fast, or there was actually something wrong. Why woman went around saying such passive things was beyond him.

"Looks like I better put this away." Kakashi chuckled, slipping the novel into his back pouch before settling down on the ground beside her. He waited for Mina to say something in response; however, they just sat in silence, her head resting on the back of the trunk, eyes turned away.

"What's wrong?" he finally inquired.

"I don't even know where he lives." She murmured.

"Who?"

"My closest friend in this entire village."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Women were always so vague. "Who?"

"Genma, of course." Mina huffed.

"Ah…And why does this upset you exactly?"

"Well," Mina began indignantly, "because what kind of best friend doesn't even know where you live?"

Kakashi was about to speak again when Mina suddenly thundered on.

"What if I needed my best friend, but I couldn't find them? Or what if there was an emergency and I didn't know where to reach them? I know so many other things about Genma, like how he felt when his parents passed away or how old he was when he first killed a man or if he prefers breasts to butts, but I don't even know where he lives?!"

Kakashi chuckled at the last sentiment. He doubted anyone in the village knew whether he preferred breasts or butts, however that was a good thing.

"The past few weeks I've been wondering where he's been, and today I finally went to go look for him, and I ran into some of his friends from the bar who tried to direct me to him, but at the end of the day, I realized I don't even know where he lives, so how was I supposed to find him in the first place?"

"You sound frustrated," Kakashi remarked.

"That might be an understatement." Mina snorted, dropping her head in between her knees, "I just want to talk to him. I feel like he's avoiding me for some reason."

Kakashi glanced over at the crumpled figure next to him. He couldn't pretend that he knew what Genma was doing or why he was suddenly ignoring Mina, but he did in fact know where he lived.

"If you did see him tonight, what would you say?" Kakashi reached over to pluck a stray leaf out of Mina's hair. "You've also got a lot of stuff in your hair…"

"It's a long story," Mina said, thinking back to how Gai had been running past her at inhuman speeds by the training grounds, enveloping her in clouds of dust, leaves, and grass. "But, I think I'd confront him and ask him what the hell is going on."

"Ah, I see."

"But it probably won't happen. It's getting late, and I doubt I can scope out all the apartment buildings in Konoha before the end of the day."

Kakashi smirked underneath his mask and then rose lazily to his feet. He glanced back down at the medic who stared evenly back at him, motioning for her to get to her feet, "Come on," he said, "I know where he lives."

The hair on Mina's arm stood up as she visibly bristled, glaring at the copy-nin, "You couldn't have mentioned that while I was on my little rant earlier?!"

Kakashi grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Must have slipped my mind."

Mina stared at the ground, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her smile, and she fell into step beside Kakashi as they began to make their way back into the heart of the village.

"I thought you said you weren't good at this type of stuff." Mina continued, shaking her head.

"Stuff." Kakashi repeated, "You know how much it turns me on when a woman is articulate."

Mina rolled her eyes, nudging the copy-nin playfully. Unfortunately, her attempt to push him hadn't even moved Kakashi an inch, almost as if her movement had no impact. He smirked. "You're weaker than I thought."

"Are you going to continue to insult me?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe. It's quite amusing."

"And here I thought you were a swell guy."

Kakashi cringed inwardly, "I don't think anybody has every referred to me as a 'swell guy' in my entire life." Mina noted the sarcastic finger quotes.

She sniffed, unfazed by his reaction. "Well, now we all know why! I'm surprised you even offered to help me."

"Sometimes I make exceptions out of the kindness of my heart." Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a familiar smile. For a moment, he did wonder why he was choosing to help Mina when he could've easily ignored her presence by the riverbank, instead continuing to flip through his precious smut novels. There was something about her, he decided, that made him so determined to meddle, however it wasn't as if she was a helpless puppy and he felt obligated to help, rather, he just hated to see her so dejected.

"Oh don't tell me. You too, Kakashi Hatake, are sworn to help the youths of this village as an upstanding shinobi?"

Kakashi stifled back a laugh, "I see you've run into Gai today."

"Yeah, he was the one who did this to me," Mina pointed up to the pieces of dirt and leaves that clung to her long hair.

"You got caught next to him while he was training," Kakashi stated this with a tone that suggested it to be the most natural and obvious thing to have occurred.

"That's about the gist of it." Mina pulled on a couple strands of her brunette hair, frowning as she crumbled a quarter-sized ball of dirt caught in her hair between two pinched fingers. "I couldn't even tell it was a person running for a few seconds there."

"That's not an uncommon observation when it comes to Gai."

The two walked in comfortable silence for another two minutes before Kakashi came to a halt in front of an unfamiliar apartment complex just a few blocks away from the Hokage's tower. While they were walking, the sun had finally set, so Mina could easily make out the yellow glow coming from the windows of each apartment within the complex. She was so close that she could even make out what some of the residents were doing.

"Do only shinobi live here?" Mina asked, glancing at Kakashi in her peripheral.

"That would be correct."

"No wonder I've never been here," she murmured. After all, as a civilian, Mina had no reason to wander over to shinobi residences or even training fields for that matter. Alas, a certain brown-haired, smirking, senbon-chewing shinobi was making her change all that.

She scanned the apartment building, her eyes flickering from window to window, "So which one is his?"

Kakashi causally shoved his hands into his pockets, "Beats me. Genma's exact address isn't the type of information I readily have available." He joined Mina in scanning the windows nonetheless and wondered if he was indeed doing a good thing. Genma was a shinobi he'd known since they were both kids, and perhaps he should have considered what he might have thought of Mina showing up at his door unannounced. If he was avoiding her, there must be a good reason. Was he meddling too much? Was he about to create an even bigger mess out of their relationship?

"I feel very creepy right now," Mina's voice shook Kakashi from his thoughts.

"Oh?" he smirked, "You don't spy on people for fun?"

"And do you?" she countered, smirking at the silver-haired jounin standing beside her, "maybe you're just as perverted as you seem!"

Kakashi chuckled. "It's just a skill all shinobi have to master. For us to use such a skill for the likes of voyeurism would be a violation of our code of conduct."

Mina didn't say anything in response. He looked at her in his peripheral, noticing that she had fallen silent but had begun to breathe harder. Her eyes were darkly fixated on something. He followed her gaze to a particular window on the second floor of the complex occupied by a man and a raven-haired woman. The man and the woman were chatting happily, and it looked as if they had just sat down for dinner, as they both had bowls of steaming hot food spread out before them. The man reached up to lovingly brush the bangs from the woman's eyes, and she blushed before continuing to dish out rice into their plates. Kakashi fixed his attention back on Mina. He couldn't read her expression.

He watched as she visibly began to shake, her lips trembling, her fists clenched. She slowly bent down to grasp something on the ground beside her, her gaze never leaving the window of Genma's apartment. Kakashi wondered what she was up to, but it had been too dark to see what she was now holding in the palm of her hand.

"Mina…" he said with a worried expression.

Mina didn't respond. Instead, she drew an arm back before letting the stone she was holding in the palm of her hand fly into the air and into Genma's window. The stone zipped into the window, leaving a hideous crack. Genma and Natsumi looked up at once at the window in shock.

Genma rose up from his seat and cautiously walked closer to the window, staring intently outside through the cracks. A petite woman with light brown hair stood outside in the street below accompanied by a silver-haired shinobi. _Mina and Kakashi?_

Outside, Mina turned from the window and from Kakashi. "I think I'll be going now." She said darkly.

Kakashi, astonished, was about to reach out to grab her shoulder when a door flew open with a loud bang. Genma ran down the steps of the complex, skidding to a halt in front of Kakashi and Mina.

"What the hell is going on guys?" He asked at the top of his voice.

Kakashi shrank back, feeling quite awkward. He hadn't meant to get into the middle of this. "I think you should be asking Mina."

"I'll deal with you later, Kakashi!" Genma said aggressively glaring at the copy-nin. Kakashi had never seen Genma so angry at him, and a wave of guilt washed over him.

"Oh don't threaten him Genma!" Mina said angrily, whipping around to face him finally, "he didn't do anything wrong."

"You're saying that now, but he looks pretty guilty if you ask me." He spit out the senbon so that it stabbed the ground only a few centimeters from Kakashi's foot. The silver-haired jounin didn't flinch.

"I was the one who threw the rock." Mina snapped.

"And why the hell would you do that?"

"I"ll pay for your stupid window if that's what you're so worried about!" she spat.

"That's just about the last thing I'm concerned about." Genma retorted, his temper rising as he noticed that Kakashi had disappeared.

"And just what are you concerned about these days Genma?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I haven't seen you in _weeks_." Mina said, casting Genma a venomous look, "I haven't seen or heard from my best friend in _weeks_ , and I know you've been back."

There was a short pause. Genma's expression began to soften.

"Sorry," said Genma in a low voice.

"You're sorry." She repeated, "but I just don't understand why. Have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?" Mina began to sniffle, "I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out if I did something to make you want to avoid me…"

Genma sighed, thinking that he couldn't tell her, at least not now.

"Look," he began, "it's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Are you too busy with her?" Mina jerked her hand to motion at Natsumi who stood in the doorway, watching the scene below her with a worried expression.

"No, it's not that!" Genma said quickly, shaking his head.

"Then why?" Mina asked angrily, "I'm all out of guesses here."

Genma gazed down at Mina, feeling incredibly guilty inside. It was true that he had been avoiding her for weeks now, but he didn't know how to explain to her why without ruining everything.

"I can't tell you exactly," Genma muttered, "I'm sorry."

Mina folded her arms around her chest, glaring at him, "So am I supposed to just accept that you're avoiding me? What am I supposed to do without my best friend?" At the last word, her voice cracked a little, her anger unwillingly morphing into sadness.

"Mina…" Genma sighed, "I just need a little space."

"I don't understand."

"I guess I can't expect you to."

Mina shook her head, "If you can't give me anything other than your vague excuses, I'm done wasting my time here."

"Mina!" Genma choked out, trying to reach for her as she turned from him.

She said nothing in reply, choosing to stalk off into the night away from Genma, the friend she'd relied on for the past two years. He'd been there for her through everything, from her acceptance into the medic program at the hospital to the anniversary of her family's deaths from the nine-tailed fox's attack. Whether in person or in writing, he encouraged her to continue her medic training, cheering her on relentlessly even when she felt herself succumbing to her doubts and insecurities. In times of stress, he would remind her to eat three square meals a day and to get at least 8 hours of sleep everyday, and when she felt particularly lonely, he would spend the day with her until she could feel whole again. Without him, she surely would not be where she was today.

Now, it felt like she was losing him.

Mina walked back to her apartment, feeling an unshakeable sense of loss as her heart sank to her stomach, her shoulders sagging and her eyes fixed on the ground. Her body felt as if she was filled to the brim with lead, making each of her movements slow and heavy.

Although she'd finally found out that Genma had been intentionally avoiding her, she hadn't figured out the reason why, and it was eating away inside at her. She rubbed her arm as a chilly breeze rustled through the streets.

Finally after what seemed like much longer than fifteen minutes, she reached her apartment complex. Mina began to trudge up the steps to the fourth floor, staring blankly ahead of her all the while. As she reached into her bag for the metal keys, she suddenly sensed a presence hiding in the shadows behind her.

"Who's there?" she asked tiredly, almost as if she didn't care if she was going to be snatched away by a serial killer at the very moment.

"Yo." To her surprise, Kakashi walked out of the shadows to stand in front of her, his eyes crinkling into a familiar smile.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought you could use some company." He said, "especially considering what just happened."

"Were you watching us the whole time? I thought you'd disappeared." Mina frowned at the copy-nin.

"Us shinobi are well versed in the art of spying." Kakashi replied simply, "I thought we already went over this before."

Mina almost smiled. "Look, Kakashi. You don't have to do this." She said, "You've already helped me enough."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, "That's true, I have helped you …" he rubbed his chin, "and I'm still waiting for you to thank me, by the way."

Mina swatted at him immediately.

"But I'm not doing this out of obligation!" Kakashi clarified, chuckling nervously.

"No?"

"No." Kakashi repeated solemnly, "So would you just entertain an old, wearied shinobi for one night?"

Mina sighed, giving the copy-nin a quick once over. "You don't even look that old," she remarked.

"What a flattering compliment," Kakashi replied with a slight smirk.

At that moment, his stomach let out a low growl, betraying the composure he had tried so hard to keep.

"So I see the real reason why you're here." Mina said, glancing down at this stomach and then back into his eyes, "You haven't eaten yet."

Kakashi grinned sheepishly. "I haven't."

"And is this how you want me to thank you?"

Kakashi shrugged, "I'm sure I could come up with much worse."

A smile slipped onto Mina's face as she shook her head at the bewildering shinobi. "Well I guess you have good timing," she said as she slipped the metal key into the lock, the door opening with a _click_ , "because I'm starving. I guess fighting with a friend can do that to you."

She stepped over the threshold and into her apartment, flicking on the lights. She looked back over her shoulder and motioned for Kakashi to come in as well. "Let's get this over with."

Kakashi pouted, feigning mock hurt as he stepped into her quaint, clean apartment.

"Most women would be happy to have me over for dinner." He pointed out.

Mina padded into her kitchen, reaching up into the cupboard to grab a pot. "Well, maybe I'm not most women," she said shrugging.

Kakashi smirked, glancing at Mina as she filled up the pot with water from the sink. Again, he had to asked himself why he was going so far for this woman. If tonight was any indication of what her temper was like, he should have been running for the hills, yet he couldn't deny that there was something about Mina that drew him to her despite his best efforts. Was it the fact that when he noticed how hurt she'd looked earlier sitting by the tree on the riverbank, he'd felt a pang of hurt in his own heart as well?

His stomach rumbled again, reminding the world that he hadn't eaten since noon that day. _The fact that I'm starving probably has something to do with it._


	5. Chapter 5

Kakashi stared dumbfounded at the bubbling pot set before him on the dining table. _Instant Ramen? Really?_ He placed the chopsticks he had been holding earlier out of anticipation gingerly back down onto the table and peered at the unfazed medic, who was reaching up into the cupboard to grab bowls.

"You know, if I'd wanted to have instant ramen for dinner, I would've just went home." Kakashi said.

Mina raised her eyebrows, and turned to face the jounin, hands on her hips. "Beggars can't be choosers Hatake-san. If I'd known I would have company, I might have prepared something earlier."

"Ah, you got me there."

"Besides," Mina said, plopping unceremoniously down into a kitchen chair across from Kakashi with the two bowls in hand, "I'm feeling a bit drained from today." She began to carefully dole out two equal portions of instant ramen into the bowls, passing Kakashi's share across the table towards him.

Kakashi nodded in thanks, and he served the steaming ramen in front of him one last wary look before slurping up a single noodle. The ramen was flavorful, not too bland, and contained a hint of spiciness. _Not bad_ , he thought before slurping up a second portion of noodles.

Mina zoned out while the copy-nin finished the ramen quickly in silence, unable to touch her food. The thought of what occurred that night made her feel sick to her stomach. She couldn't be tempted to eat, even if one of her favorite foods sat right before her. Just a few minutes ago, she had been convinced that she was starving and in need of comfort food; however, as she began to mull over her outburst and fight with Genma, the desire to eat simply vanished.

"You're not eating," Kakashi said. He glanced at her curiously, one eyebrow raised.

"I don't really have an appetite at the moment," replied Mina.

"That may be so, but you should eat anyway."

"One missed meal isn't going to kill me, Kakashi." Mina rolled her eyes.

"You need to keep your strength up." Kakashi said simply, "otherwise how are you going to get through your shift tomorrow? You need fuel."

Mina sighed. It was true that her shifts could be grueling, but eating was the last thing she wanted to do. In truth, she wanted to just fling herself into bed and not come out for at least a few days. Sadly, she was an adult with a real job, and she couldn't avoid responsibilities forever.

"I'll manage. I always do." Mina mumbled finally.

Now Kakashi wasn't in the business of caring about other people's affairs. In fact, over the years, he simply found that it was easier to adopt an apathetic attitude, and while it wasn't the bravest thing to do by any means, not caring protected him from an entirely different world of burden and hurt that came with relationships. Yet, as he gazed at the girl in front of him, who looked nearly a million miles away deep into her thoughts, he felt a surge of sympathy for her. Kakashi thought that Mina might be the only person who could really understand what it felt like to carry the blame of a loved one's death, and this link between the two perhaps made him more inclined to help her, as it was almost as if he was helping himself.

"Are you ok?" he finally asked, leaning back into his chair, his head slightly turned.

"Yeah." Mina said hoarsely, folding her arms across her chest. She met the copy-nin's gaze evenly, trying her hardest not to show any signs of weakness.

"You don't look it."

"And you don't look a person who cares enough to pry into other people's business, but here we are." Mina replied in an attempt to sway the direction of the conversation.

"Getting touchy now are we? I hope this isn't how you treat all your house guests."

"No, only you." Mina shook her head, "It's just an exception I make out of the kindness of my heart!" she replied,a slight grin emerging.

"There you go. You look much prettier with a smile on your face."

Mina rolled her eyes, thinking to herself that Kakashi was stupid if he thought she cared how she looked when she bore anything but a smile on her face. Regardless, his comment elicited a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Good thing I don't smile for the sake of looking pretty." Kakashi noted the tone of sarcasm.

"Sorry, Mina," Kakashi chuckled nervously, "I only meant it as a compliment, but I can see where that could have been taken the wrong way…"

She shrugged in response. "It's okay, I'm used to it. Most men are completely clueless!"

Kakashi frowned, thinking to himself that he had never been called 'clueless' in anything.

"Although, I'm surprised Kakashi," she continued on, "considering how popular you are with the women of Konoha."

Kakashi sighed. It's not like he had ever taken up the offers of any of those woman anyway. Well, only a few…but that had been years ago when he was younger and much more impulsive.

"Those woman don't know anything about me," he smirked, "they're in love with a shinobi that doesn't exist."

"A shinobi that doesn't exist, huh?" Mina repeated dubiously. She gestured at Kakashi who sat in front of her, "Am I trapped in a genjustu right now then? Or is Kakashi Hatake sitting in front of me?"

"That's not what I mean." Kakashi paused for a brief moment before he went on, "They think I'm this cool, noble war hero that needs to be saved from my own darkness." He shook his head, "It's like these women are enthralled by this idealized version of me, and however great that may be in their eyes, it is simply not reflective of reality."

"So then who is Kakashi Hatake in reality, in your opinion?"

"Oh him?" Kakashi drawled, "He's just a washed up shinobi that's made more mistakes than anyone can count." Oddly, even as he said these words, Kakashi smiled, his eyes creasing, as if he was completely at peace with this sentiment.

Upon noticing her speechless reaction, Kakashi cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, "I think I've said too much, haven't I?"

"What?" Mina protested with a huff, "This is the most I've gotten out of you in weeks, and it's hardly anything to go off of!"

Kakashi grinned, rising to stand. He had to leave now before he said more. Even though he felt as if he was growing closer to the medic, he still wasn't ready to divulge his past to her. He had to think of an exit strategy _fast_.

"Thank you for dinner." He said as Mina rose from her seat as well. He began to walk toward her door.

"You're just going to drop a bomb like that and not explain?" Mina asked incredulously. Now, she was even more curious about Kakashi than she liked to admit. It was irritating that he knew far more about her than she knew about him.

"Yes, that's exactly what I plan to do." Kakashi admitted, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "It keeps the mystery alive, which is part of what makes me so irresistible to women, don't you think?" His eyes twinkled with amusement at Mina's annoyed expression.

"But you promised me that you'd tell me more about yourself that other night!" she pouted, glaring at the copy-nin.

Kakashi tilted his head, rubbing his chin, "Ah…I do seem to remember that." He shrugged, "but it'll have to be another time. I'll be off."

He gave a quick wave and before Mina could say another word, the copy-nin disappeared with a puff of smoke.

The next few days passed by uneventfully. Luckily at the hospital, there had finally been a decrease in the number of patients, and Mina was able to spend more than half of her shifts these days observing procedures in the operating rooms and honing her skills as a medic. She was grateful for these days, as she was still upset about the incident with Genma that occurred a few nights ago. Still unable to make sense of her friend's behavior, she tried her best to put it out of her mind for now, figuring that she would just prolong the suffering if she remained fixated on it.

Today was the last day of physical therapy for Naruto, and Mina beamed as she headed to the west wing of the hospital. The blonde-haired shinobi had quickly become one of her favorite patients. He was no doubt a blubbering fool in many aspects; however, his sheer determination and unwavering optimism was truly laudable and even endearing. Mina had come to respect him deeply.

"Hello Naruto-kun!" Mina greeted cheerfully as she slid open the door to his room, striding in with a clipboard and a basket filled to the brim with water balloons.

Naruto perked up at her voice, and looked curiously down at the objects in Mina's basket, "Mina-chan! Today's the last day before I can go back to training right?" He grinned cheekily, and Miina couldn't help but beam back.

She nodded, setting the basket down at her feet. "It is indeed finally the last day," she said, "but I'm afraid I can't release you until you can complete one final task."

Naruto gazed from Mina to the basket beside her feet and back to Mina, gulping nervously. "One final task?"

Mina nodded, noting Naruto's anxious reaction. It wasn't like Naruto to be afraid of anything, but she supposed he might be nervous because of his strong desire to get back to training. "Don't worry," she tried to reassure him, "Considering how well you've been doing these past few weeks, I have the upmost confidence that you'll nail it." Mina walked around Naruto's bed to sit on a stool, pulling a pen out of her coat pocket, "But first, I want to check your hand."

Naruto carefully reached out his previously injured hand toward Mina so she could grasp it. A green glow emitted from her palms as she checked the condition of his chakra networks. As far as she could tell, Naruto was fully healed; however, it was still unknown whether he'd be able to mold chakra like he used to. The final task she'd arranged would test that.

"Everything looks good to me, Naruto." She said releasing his hand, "But I want to make sure you can still mold chakra with this hand. Sometimes the body can be perfectly healed, but there might be some sort of mental block that can occur after you've stopped using a certain part of your body for a long time." She then motioned toward the basket and its contents, "So we're going to test it right now to make sure there aren't any unforeseen complications."

"Water balloons…" Naruto murmured, "I used to train with these when Pervy-sage was teaching me the rasengan."

Mina nodded. She was glad Naruto had grasped the idea behind her test so quickly. "I actually based this final test off of that. If you can break the balloons by molding the chakra in your hands, I'm fully prepared to release you back into training."

"Got it!" Naruto said with more confidence in his voice. If he had been able to do this once, he would for sure be able to do it again. He swung his legs over the edge of the hospital bed and stood up. Slowly, Naruto reached into the basket, emerging with one single water balloon in the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

For a few seconds, nothing happened as Naruto stood in the middle of the room, holding the water balloon in the palm of his hand, concentrating intensely. Then, suddenly the balloon began to shake, vibrating from side to side. _"He's doing it!"_ Mina thought to herself, watching the trembling balloon carefully. With a loud pop, the balloon burst open and water splashed out onto Naruto's hand and onto the tile floors.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered triumphantly, pumping a first into the air, "I did it!"

"It's just what I'd expect from you, Naruto-kun." Mina beamed from ear to ear, "Congratulations."

Naruto returned the smile. "Thank you Mina-chan! If it wasn't for you, I might have been stuck here forever!"

Mina laughed, thinking to herself that she had really not done much at all. Sure she had led Naruto through exercises that were designed to increase the mobility and use of his injured hand, but Naruto was a force, and his unwavering determinism had brought him to recovery much faster than anticipated. She began to write a form for Naruto's release while the young shinobi celebrated around her.

After filling out the form for his release, she looked up and scanned the room, noticing that Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi weren't present, which was a shame because she was sure Naruto would've liked to celebrate his release with his teammates. She shrugged her shoulders. _Maybe they were out on a mission_.

"I sure wish Kakashi sensei was here," said Naruto, beginning to pack up his belongings into a rucksack, "I want to resume my training right away!"

"Is he on a mission with Sakura and Sai? I don't think he would've missed your last session unless he had a good reason." Mina asked thoughtfully.

Naruto mulled this suggestion over for a moment, narrowing his eyes, rubbing his chin. "Hmm….."

"That's not fair!" he suddenly yelled, his eyes bugging out, "I've been stuck in this boring hospital for weeks, dying to get my hands on an exciting mission, but they're probably out doing that without me!" He sighed in frustration, folding his arms across his chest, grumbling to himself, "Figures… granny-ba-chan would do that to me...she always gives me the boring missions"

Mina chuckled at Naruto's sudden outburst. He always had an absurd amount of energy. At the mention of Kakashi, she thought back to the other night when he'd had dinner at her apartment. He was the last thing she expected to see when she walked home from Genma's. After all, it appeared as if he had bolted the moment Genma and her had started arguing. She couldn't blame him. He must have felt awkward.

Still, Kakashi didn't seem like the type to be so forward in any sort of relationship. Even more than that, he had been annoyingly pushy about trying to get her to eat, which Mina took as a sign of actual concern, and he had even complimented her, albeit in a slightly offensive way. She could see that their relationship was evolving, yet Kakashi remained as much as an enigma as he did the first day they met. She wondered if Naruto might have any special insight into his mysterious sensei.

"Naruto-kun," Mina piped up cautiously, "Would you consider yourself to be someone that knows Kakashi pretty well?"

"Eh? Kakashi sensei?" Naurto turned around to face the medic, halting his packing, "I guess so, why do you ask?" A mischievous smile appeared on the shinobi's face, "Are you interested in my sensei?" he wagged an eyebrow at her suggestively.

"No…No!" Mina stammered nervously, "I just think he's a hard person to read."

Naruto paused, deep in thought about his ever-elusive sensei. "Well," he said finally, "I only know a few things about Kakashi sensei. One is that he is _always_ late. Another is that he loves reading his boring smut novels. Another thing is that he is a pretty private person. I've never even seen him without a mask before!"

"OH!" Naruto managed to add, tapping his chin, "and he is a great shinobi that I respect a lot."

Mina nodded, taking in all the information, even though Naruto hadn't told her anything she didn't already know. So Kakashi was an enigma even to his students. Mina wondered if there was anybody in the entire village who knew him well at all.

"What do you reckon is under the mask?" asked Mina causally, remebering that she had unfortunately zoned out when Kakashi ate dinner at her apartment the other night.

A mischievous glint in his eye, Naruto said, "Buck teeth? Big fishy lips? A hairy mole?" He giggled, thinking about all the possibilities. Mina smiled as well, entertained by the thought of Kakashi hiding buck teeth behind his mask all this time.

"So no one's seen it before?"

"Ehh…not that I know of." Naruto frowned, "Except maybe his dogs!"

"Kakashi has dogs?" Mina tried to imagine the silver haired shinobi lounging at home on his couch surrounded by a number of fluffy dogs.

"He summons them!" Naruto said gleefully, "We've worked with Pakkun loads of times!"

"Pakkun?"

"One of the dogs! He's a pug!"

"Ah, " Mina said appreciatively, "I see. I didn't know he was a dog person."

"Yeah, Kakashi sensei is a real mystery!" Naruto added, "I don't even know if he likes women!"

"What?!" Mina gasped, staring at Naruto with an astonished and somewhat disappointed expression, "how do you know?"

"Because," Naruto cupped a hand around his mouth as if he was whispering sensitive information to the medic, "He was saying gross stuff one time while we were training, like how he's really taken a liking to me and stuff like that!"

Mina chuckled, trying to picture the scene in her head. Kakashi never seemed like the affectionate type, so of course Naruto must have been freaked out. Yet, that incident didn't quite scream 'gay' to her, and she admitted that she felt somewhat relieved, letting out a sigh.

"Sounds like you were quite freaked out, Naruto!"

Naruto nodded intently, "In my opinion, Kakashi sensei should be banned from saying any of that gross stuff!"

Mina shook her head, laughing at Naruto's remark. She glanced back down at her clipboard checking to see who her next patient was. Suddenly, a nurse threw back the sliding door of the hospital room and ran in, panting, "Mina-san! Shizune needs you in the O.R. immediately! She says it's urgent!"

Mina jumped out of her seat, tucking the clipboard underneath her armpit, "Right! I'll go now." She waved at Naruto and smiled, "I'll see you around Naruto-kun. Best of luck with everything!"

Naruto grinned and waved back as Mina raced out the door following the nurse, "Goodbye Mina-chan!"

Racing down the corridors of the hospital, Mina wondered what lay in store for her in the operating room. Another surgery? That was probably the most likely situation, although she wasn't sure why it was so urgent if she was only going to be observing from the sidelines again.

Regardless, Mina ran to the operating room, almost out of breath as she slid open the doors. Shizune and a few other nurses and medics were already in the room, surrounding a body on the operating table. The body did not move, except for its chest rising up and down, which was accompanied by shallow, weak breaths.

Upon Mina's arrival, Shizune swiveled around, "Mina, I want you to come here and assess this patient. He's a 36 year old male who's been gravely injured in battle during a mission. It looks like he's suffering a huge laceration from some sort of paper bomb. He's also suffering multiple stab wounds in vital areas, and he's losing blood fast. We've only managed to stich up a few of these wounds, but some of them keep re-opening, and if his condition doesn't improve, he will die of blood loss."

Mina walked over immediately to stand beside the patient, taking in all the information. It was true that he was missing a huge chunk of skin in his left side, exposing burnt flesh and parts of his organs. This was _really_ bad. If the male was this close to death, what more could she do?

A sudden beeping sound jolted her from her thoughts.

"His blood pressure is dropping fast!" A nurse announced, staring at one of the monitors, "It's getting too low."

"Get another blood bag!" Mina barked, as she leaned over the patient to assess his heartbeat. It gave a weak, slow, thumping sound.

"His pulse is dropping!" Another medic announced, as the numbers on the monitors began to lower rapidly, like a countdown toward inevitable death.

"All we can do is to stabilize him for now so he can continue to have surgery later." Mina said, "he's losing too much blood for us to keep going."

She pointed at one medic, "Prepare the resuscitation mask and the bvm! Someone else prepare the AED." A nurse ran off immediately to get the crash cart.

The beeping from the monitors became a blaring alarm sound, indicating that the patient's heart had stopped beating.

"He's lost his pulse!" a medic shouted.

Mina scrambled to prepare the shock pads, sweating nervously. She had never been in a situation like this, where she was being forced to bring someone back to life. "Charge to 200!" she ordered.

The nurse operating the crash cart pressed a button, charging the shock pads. After a beeping noise indicated the pads had been charged, Mina pressed them onto the patient, shocking him, and his body lurched forward in response. The monitor displaying his heartbeat still remained empty however.

"Charge to 260!" she ordered again. She pressed the pads into his chest again. His condition still didn't change. _Damn it._ The seconds seemed to pass like hours, as Mina desperately tried to save the man.

"Charge to 300!" His body lurched forward again from the force of the shock, yet his heart still was unresponsive.

"Charge to 360!" Mina tried again. The nurses and medics around her looked at Mina dubiously. One nurse almost began to shake her head, as if to say she should give up. Mina glared back at them. She couldn't just sit here and let this man die. "I _said_ charge to 360!" Mina barked again.

The nurse sighed before charging the pads. Mina shocked the patient again, looking up at the monitor, hoping to see his pulse reemerge; however, the monitor remained silent, and the patient remained lifeless on the table.

Mina was about to ask the nurses to change the pads once more before she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She turned to look Shizune in the eye who shook her head sadly, "He didn't have a chance, Mina. You can stop now."

Mina trembled with anger as she stared at her superior, "We can still keep going!" she insisted.

Shizune shook her head again, "Sustaining those injuries, there's nothing more we could have done. All we could do is try to keep him alive for a little longer."

Mina glanced back at the lifeless patient, finally noticing the sheer amount of blood on his body as well as the gravity of the laceration that he sustained from the paper bomb. His guts were almost spilling out of this body. She bit her lip, holding back tears.

"So if he was already a goner, why did you call me here in the first place?" she asked, unable to disguise the anger she felt.

"Because," Shizune answered simply, "This is something that you need to experience and become comfortable with. As a medic, we often reach the point where there is just nothing else we can do, and although that is hard to accept, it's a reality that we have to face."

Mina said nothing in response, her eyes still fixed on the body that lay on the cold operating table. She knew her superior was right, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of anger, knowing that she'd asked Mina to try to help the patient when she knew he'd be dead in a matter of minutes. It was indeed a harsh reality.

"Do you want me to close him up?" Mina finally managed to say.

Shizune shook her head, a concerned expression stretched across her face, "No, I think you ought to take the rest of the day off and reflect over what you've just experienced."

Wordlessly, Mina stalked out of the operating room, ripping off her gloves, which were covered in blood, and she flung them into a trashcan nearby. She had been having a pretty good day until just recently.

"Here," Mina said, handing her clipboard to a nurse at the desk, "Shizune ordered me to take the rest of my shift off."

The nurse nodded, and Mina then began to make her way towards the staff break room of the hospital, intending to change out of her medic clothes. Already, she was feeling exhausted and it was only half past noon. Sluggishly, she changed into her civilian clothes, which included a wrap skirt made out of tiny black and white checkered fabric that reached her calves, a black, long-sleeve, off the shoulder blouse, and simple sandals.

As she made her way out of the hospital and onto the busy streets of Konoha, she kept thinking about the man that had died right in front of her moments ago. _He probably has a family out there somewhere in this village._ _He's somebody's son, brother, friend, lover…_ Mina couldn't seem to shake the feeling of guilt that sat on her shoulders. _And_ _I couldn't save him._

For what seemed like hours, Mina walked absent-mindedly around the village. It was a bright, sunny day, and there was a cool breeze that brushed over the village. The sun shone brilliantly in the sparkling blue sky, and more people than ever seemed to be meandering about outside, enjoying the beautiful, mild weather. The weather, however, was the last thing on her mind.

" _I guess this is something medics have to get used to, just like Shizune said…"_ she thought to herself bitterly, " _but just because this is reality doesn't make it any easier to accept._ "

Her stomach suddenly growled, and Mina remembered that her usual lunch time passed around thirty-minutes ago. It would be a miracle if she could get herself to stomach some food after what she had witnessed today, but a nagging, calm voice in the back of her mind that sounded strangely like Kakashi's chastised her for the mere thought of foregoing a meal.

She reluctantly walked in the direction of Ichiraku ramen. Maybe a bowl of Teuchi's famous pork tonkatsu ramen could tempt her. After a few minutes, she ducked under the flaps of the ramen stand, and managed to muster a weak smile at Teuchi who turned around upon her arrival.

"Mina!" He boomed, "It's been a while since I've seen you in here!"

"Sorry about that," Mina replied, "I've been busy at the hospital."

"Ah, I remember! And how's that going?"

Mina shrugged, settling down on a stool at the counter, "It's going quite lousy, at the moment, if you really want to know…" she said wearily.

"Mmm," Teuchi looked at her apologetically, "being a medic is a hard job. I've had to discourage Ayame here quite a few times." He said motioning to his daughter who was busy cutting up slabs of barbeque pork into thin slices, "but it's nothing my incredible ramen can't fix! The usual?"

Mina nodded, grateful that she didn't have to say much else at the moment. Before Teuchi could place a steaming bowl of ramen down before her, she heard a low voice speak.

"I always seem to run into you when you're having a bad day." A familiar silver-haired jounin lowered an orange book from his face. Mina turned to look at Kakashi in surprise. He was sitting in the far left corner of the ramen stand while Mina was sitting to the right. She supposed she must have been so engrossed in her own thoughts when she walked in that she hadn't detected the other quiet presence sitting in the opposite corner of the ramen stand.

"Maybe I'm always having bad days _because_ I run into you," Mina replied simply, "that sounds like a more accurate conclusion, don't you think?"

Kakashi smirked ever so slightly. "As hostile as ever, I see. You _really_ must have had a bad morning."

"And what about you?" Mina glanced at the copy-nin noticing that he looked more scuffed up than usual. In addition, there was a tan rucksack perched at the bottom of his stool. She could've sworn she saw a dried blood stain on his pants as well.

"Ah, I just got back from a mission. But I didn't feel like handing in the mission report so soon, so I decided to procrastinate a little…" Kakashi admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, well don't tell Naruto," Mina said, thinking back to how the young shinobi complained about being left behind while his team embarked on a mission without him.

"Why? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, in fact I've released him from the hospital because he's fully healed now. But he might feel a little left out since you all left him behind."

Kakashi smiled upon hearing this good news. "Well it couldn't be helped. But I'm glad to hear he's been released. Thank you for your hard work."

Mina sniffed dismissively, "It was all Naruto. Surely you of all people would know that."

"Well he's definitely one of the hardest workers I know," Kakashi said thinking back to his training with Naruto a few weeks prior when they were attempting to create the rasenshuriken jutsu, "But he doesn't know how to rest. It's good he had someone else other than me enforcing him to."

Mina nodded, agreeing at the very least with this sentiment.

"One tonkatsu ramen with extra barbeque slices!" Teuchi announced, interrupting her conversation with the shinobi, setting down a steaming bowl in front of Mina.

"Thanks Teuchi." Mina stared halfheartedly at the bowl, reaching for a pair of chopsticks reluctantly. Although her stomach growled, she still couldn't free herself from the image of that man's guts nearly spilling out of his body in the operating room or the sight of how his lifeless body looked laying on the cold, metal operating table, his skin a somewhat waxy, yellow color, devoid of warmth.

"Eat." A calm voice commanded. Mina raised her eyebrows at Kakashi, who was trying to seem engrossed in his book as if he didn't care about her at all.

"You try eating after you've seen a man bleed out right in front of you."

"Actually," the shinobi countered, flipping to the next page in his book, "I have. Many times."

Mina grumbled under her breath, knowing that what Kakashi had just said was probably true.

"Well," she said, "it was my first time, so forgive me."

Kakashi winced audibly. "The first time's the worst."

"How old were you?" Mina asked, feeling like now was the time if ever to attempt to weasel more information out of the elusive copy-nin.

"I'd rather not discuss information like this in a public place." Kakashi flipped over another page languidly.

"Then how about over dinner?"

At this, Kakashi lowered his book, peering at the medic curiously. He could sense there was some ulterior motive behind her invitation, but he didn't know what exactly.

Mina, on the other hand, was hoping for the shinobi to accept her offer, as she wanted to bum off as much information from Kakashi as she could. Maybe he was right: his mysterious demeanor did nothing but infuriate her and make her desire to know him on a deeper level increase exponentially, especially considering how much he already knew about her. While she was like an open book, he carefully concealed himself away, only ever allowing the people around him to know what he chose to reveal.

"I'm not one to turn down a free meal," Kakashi said casually, "but this seems a bit fishy. What are you up to?"

"N-Nothing Kakashi-san!" Mina sputtered out. She was annoyed the shinobi had picked up on her ulterior motive so quickly.

"Well. I can already tell that you're lying," Kakashi replied as Mina visibly stiffened, "But I'll entertain you. What time?"

"How about 7:30, on Saturday?" Mina mentally noted that this particular Saturday, which was two days from now, was her day off from the hospital. She would have time to go grocery shopping for actual ingredients this time.

"I'll see you then." Kakashi said, placing his book into his back pouch. He leaned down to grab the straps of his rucksack, slinging it causally over his shoulders, "I better get this mission report in before Tsunade-sama has my head…"

"Thanks, for the food Teuchi." He added, waving to the friendly ramen shop owner.

"Anytime!" Teuchi beamed back, "Come again with your team next time, you hear?"

Kakashi nodded, his eyes creasing into a smile, before ducking underneath the flaps of the shop and disappearing out onto the street.

Mina sighed in relief. Now she could ask Kakashi more questions, like why he still visited the graveyard and the third-shinobi war memorial everyday. She had seen him standing beside a particular grave on occasion on her way home from work. Although she was tempted to wait until he left to go figure out what grave he was standing in front of, she knew deep inside that it'd be a sneaky and rather disrespectful thing to do. Besides, she would receive more satisfaction if the copy-nin revealed it to her himself.

She stared back down at the bowl of ramen in front of her, which suddenly seemed more appetizing that it had moments ago. Gingerly, she leaned forward and slurped up a few delicious noodles, noting that it still tasted just as good as it did the last time she ate it. Somehow, in a few minutes, she managed to finish the entire bowl.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked Teuchi, standing up to reach into her purse for her wallet.

"1800 yen!" Teuchi replied, handing her the receipt.

"1800 yen?" Mina stammered, looking over the receipt. "That's nearly double the amount I always pay!"

"Oh yeah," Teuchi said bracingly, "The second bowl is Kakashi-san's! He told me you were going to cover him!" He smiled innocently at Mina.

"He what?!" Mina shrieked, crumbling up the receipt into her fist. _That bastard!_

Teuchi smiled apologetically down at her, "Sorry, Mina. It looks like there might have been a slight miscommunication between you two?"

Mina sighed heavily. She hadn't even seen Kakashi give any sort of indication to Teuchi that she would be footing his bill, but even if Kakashi had sprung the check on her unknowingly, she couldn't blame Teuchi for falling for it.

"It's fine," she muttered shoving out a couple of crinkled bills reluctantly into Teuchi's outstretched hand, "I'll be sure to let him know just how _grateful_ I am when I see him this Saturday!"

"Oh dear," Teuchi chuckled as he took the bills gingerly, placing them carefully into the register behind the counter, "I'll say a blessing for him then."

"Oh, you better," Mina snarled, sliding off the stool, "he may never live to see this ramen shop again after I'm through with him!"

* * *

Hello to all my readers! I just wanted to thank everyone for your support. All the followers and new favorites and reviews really help motivate me to keep cranking out these chapters! Also, I'd like to let you guys know that a lot of drama/action is going to happening in this story henceforth, so it may get a tad bit more exciting! Again, thank you everyone for reading, favoriting, and following! It means a lot to me! And also if you like, please feel free to leave a review! I'd love to hear people's feedback!

See you guys in the next chapter :')


	6. Chapter 6

It was a particularly bleak day when Mina made her way down to the village two days later, walking through the cool, misty drizzle, shivering slightly inside her sweater. Although the weather had been pleasant up until this point, the beginning of autumn also signaled the recommencement of rain and colder days.

As planned, Mina was off to purchase ingredients from the market for dinner that night, in which a certain silver-haired shinobi would be joining her. Despite the murky weather, all the colorful, glittering window displays remained, and the market seemed lively enough, with a crowd of shoppers and merchants still going about their daily business in somewhat of a harried manner, as if they wanted to get out of the light rain as quickly as possible. In particular, she noticed one of the foods stands specializing in broths and hearty soups receiving good business.

Mina thought to herself that a warm, comforting bowl of soup did sound quite appetizing in this weather, and she set off to the grocer with a plan in mind. To her delight, the grocer was well stocked with a bounty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and Mina carefully selected her produce, scrutinizing every bruise, bump, or scratch. After a little while, she finally finished, ringing her items up to the cashier.

"It's not very pleasant out, is it?" the cashier grumbled, weighing her produce one by one on a scale before pressing some buttons on the register.

"No, it isn't," said Mina, glancing outside. The rain had begun to steadily increase, with fat droplets hitting the pavement. With regret, she remembered that she had forgotten her umbrella at home. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar boy in an orange and black tracksuit pass by the grocer window, his head downcast and his eyes fixed on the wet ground.

"Are you going to pay or what?" asked the grocer, staring expectantly at Mina. She had missed parts of their conversation while staring at the boy outside, who she was confident, was Naruto.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Of course!"

Mina quickly shoveled out a few crumpled bills into the grocer's hand and swept all her produce into her shopping bag hastily.

"Keep the change!" she shouted at the stunned grocer as she jogged for the door, hoping to catch Naruto before he disappeared out of sight.

Immediately, Mina began to feel the fat droplets of rain descending down on her as she ran outside, searching the crowd for Naruto's yellow, spiky hair. She caught sight of him about fifteen feet ahead of her, walking slowly with his hands in his pockets. She ran to catch up with him, waving her free hand.

"Naruto-kun!" she called breathlessly, her shopping bags swinging wildly from side to side.

In front of her, Naruto did not turn around, but stopped, standing still in the middle of the road.

"Naruto! I saw you walking from inside the grocer's, and I just wanted to ask how you're doing? How's training going?" said Mina, panting slightly, when she finally caught up to the boy.

Naruto, still unable to move his downcast eyes from the ground didn't say a word and instead continued walking as if he hadn't even heard Mina. She stood there dumbfounded in the rain, as her clothes began to be spotted with droplets. Surely Naruto had heard her. After all, he'd stopped walking in the street when she called his name. Yet, he had ignored her question, unable to even spare a glance at her, as he walked away solemnly down the street.

Something seemed off about the shinobi. In her time working with Naruto, she had never seen him so despondent or crestfallen. She decided this was something worth mentioning to Kakashi when she saw him that night. Something was obviously bothering Naruto.

When Mina finally made it back to her apartment, she was drenched with rain, dripping as she stepped across the threshold and into her living room, leaving behind little puddles wherever she went. Peeling off her wet clothes, she shrugged into a fluffy bathrobe, rubbing a clean towel on her head and she padded into the kitchen.

Earlier at the market, she decided to make a delicious seafood stew, and she began to start right away on its preparation, chopping the vegetables she'd purchased earlier into diced pieces and boiling a large pot of water on the stove. Kakashi was due to come in only two hours, and she had a lot to accomplish before then.

Kakashi knocked on Mina's door approximately fifteen minutes later than she was expecting him. After a brief moment passed, the door swung open to reveal a very pretty girl with long, light brown hair standing in the doorway glaring at him.

"You're late." She scowled before whipping around to stalk back into her own apartment.

Crossing the threshold, Kakashi inhaled the scent of something fragrant and incredibly delicious, wafting in his direction from the kitchen.

Kakashi chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well you see, I got stopped by an old woman for help and—"

"We all know that's a lie!" interrupted Mina, shaking her head with disapproval, "But I was expecting this. Naruto mentioned something about how you're chronically late."

"Did he?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, and he told me all sorts of interesting things about you too."

Kakashi said nothing in response, horrified for a brief second before he realized that there was no way Naruto knew about his past. Well, he couldn't, could he?

"Is that so?" asked Kakashi, nervously anticipating her reply, "Like what?"

"Oh, this and that," answered Mina as she walked around the kitchen, adding the final touches to their dinner, "something about how you've been hiding buck teeth behind that mask of yours all this time."

Kakashi breathed out a sigh of relief.

"And also the fact that you might be gay."

Kakashi nearly choked on his own spit, quite an embarrassing feat for such an accomplished jounin. He struggled for a few seconds, determined that he couldn't die like this, and finally managed to gulp loudly after letting out a series of coughs. "W-what?"

Mina laughed, relishing in Kakashi's reaction. He was a hard man to startle, and yet she'd done it with the help of Naruto. She'd have to thank him later.

"Speaking of Naruto actually…" Mina shrugged on some oven mitts and lifted the steaming bowl of stew from the stove, placing it gingerly on the dining table, "I ran into him today, and something seemed a bit off."

Kakashi stared longingly at the bubbling stew, trying not to seem too excited. He quirked an eyebrow at her words, "Off how?"

Mina grabbed some bowls and silverware from a cupboard and walked back to the table; setting them down on the placemats she'd already laid out.

"Well," she continued as Kakashi took a seat across from her, "He seemed really depressed."

Kakashi nodded, not seeming surprised at all. "I'm not sure Naruto would want me to tell you this," he said, "but the news is bound to get around anyway."

"News?" said Mina innocently, frowning as she doled out a portion of the stew into Kakashi's bowl using a large ladle.

"His sensei, Jiraya-sama, otherwise known as one of the three great sannin of the Leaf village has passed away recently. We've only now gotten the details about it."

"Oh no," Mina murmured, feeling her heart sink down to her stomach. No wonder Naruto had seemed so unlike himself.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Well," said Kakashi, "Jiraya-sama was really the only semblance of family Naruto had left in this world. I can imagine he's probably devastated."

"Family? I thought Naruto's parents had died before he was born."

Kakashi nodded serenely, "They did, but Jiraya-sama was his god-father and possibly the only father-like figure he's ever had in his life."

Mina sighed, taking a small sip of her stew. _Not bad._ "You're going to go check on him, right?"

Kakashi was about to follow suit, until he noticed Mina's narrow, pointed gaze.

"Well," he hesitated, "I'm not really good at this type of stuff."

Immediately, Mina snatched up a stray newspaper lying on the table and swatted Kakashi upside the head, "You're his sensei for Kami's sake! He needs you right now!" she insisted.

Kakashi winced, rubbing his head, "Alright alright. I'll check on him, I promise."

After that, the atmosphere lightened considerably, for Mina was satisfied knowing that Naruto might have some support in his time of grief. While she disappeared to the kitchen to grab more napkins, Kakashi took this as an opportunity to down his bowl of stew. He had to admit it was rather delicious, and it was the perfect thing to eat on a rainy day such as this. Mina walked back, staring in astonishment at the clean bowl and back to Kakashi's masked face.

"How did you—?" she started, pointing from the bowl to him incredulously, "I was gone for like 15 seconds!"

Kakashi shrugged, smirking, "It was so delicious I must have eaten it too quickly."

Mina unsuccessfully tried to hold back a smile and pouted, "But I didn't even get to see your buck teeth!"

"That's because I don't have any."

"That's debatable." Mina sniffed dismissively, "Will I ever get to see what's under your mask?" she asked, sliding back down in her seat, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand.

"It's highly unlikely," replied Kakashi, "Naruto and Sakura have tried for years..." He sat there with a bemused expression, thinking back to the numerous times he'd fooled them when they were mere genin.

"Oh come on, why not?" insisted Mina, frowning. Her curiosity was only increasing the more time she spent with the silver haired jounin.

Kakashi smirked and made a motion as if to suddenly tug down his mask. Mina's eyes widened.

"If I show you, you have to promise not to fall in love with me."

To his satisfaction, Kakashi noticed Mina's face flushing a scarlet shade of red, as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling her own face growing hot. He smirked even when she finally regained composure after a few seconds, "Oh come off it! What kind of line was that?" she sputtered out, "it sounds like something straight out of that Makeout Paradise book you read all the time!"

"Just teasing you," said Kakashi simply in an innocent voice, "I have to get my entertainment from somewhere."

Mina rolled her eyes, feeling suddenly as if the room was stuffed and too cramped, so she resorted to clearing the table and washing the dishes. To her surprise and apparent dismay, Kakashi stood up as well and began to help her, using a clean dish rag she'd thrown on the counter to dry all the wet dishes. They said nothing as they did this side by side, and Mina did not dare to cast him a sideways glance either.

Finally, when the last dish had been wiped dry and placed back into its respective shelf, Mina muttered, "You didn't have to help me, you know."

"I know," Kakashi said, shoving his hands casually into his pockets, "But I wanted to thank you somehow."

"A simple 'thank you' could have sufficed."

"Yes, perhaps," Kakashi chuckled nervously, "but what kind of guy would I be if just let you do all the work, especially after cooking for me?"

Mina shrugged, unwillingly to agree with the copy-nin. She felt a swooping sensation in her stomach, almost as if her stomach was doing cartwheels over and over again, but then Kakashi plodded off to sit himself comfortably on her couch in the living room like nothing was wrong.

He glanced up at Mina when he noticed that she'd stayed glued to her spot in the doorway of the kitchen, which faced the living room. With a wave of his hand, he motioned for her to come over, patting the seat beside him, "Come on, Mina. I don't bite."

Not wanting to be rude or admit that she was feeling nervous, Mina strode over to the couch to sit next to the silver haired jounin, scooting herself as far away physically from him as possible.

Kakashi, noticing all this, smirked, "Am I making you nervous?"

"No!" said Mina almost immediately, "On the contrary, I feel very comfortable with you!" She shrank back when she realized how dumb those words sounded coming out of her mouth. If Kakashi thought that Mina was lame or weird, as she feared, he didn't give any indication.

He simply smiled, thinking that he shouldn't torture the poor girl any longer. "I feel comfortable with you too, actually," He said, truly meaning every word.

"You do?" asked Mina suspiciously, a slight tinge of pink rising to her cheeks, "Then why have you bolted all those times when we start bringing up your past?

Kakashi hesitated before responding. "It's because my past is not something I want others to know about. In fact, it's something I've been ashamed of for years."

Mina gazed at Kakashi sitting in front of her thoughtfully, wondering what a seemingly perfect man could have done so wrong in the past. The nurses at the hospital gaggled nothing but good things about him, and he seemed to be someone whom the village highly respected. With a lurch in her stomach, she remembered the images of Kakashi standing in the cemetery behind a particular grave for hours, every day. Maybe that had something to do with it.

"Kakashi…" Mina bracingly placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Whatever it is, you can tell me. It's not like I've done great things in the past either…but you already know that."

"It's not exactly the same," Kakashi shook his head, sighing heavily.

"Regardless whatever it is," Mina continued, dropping her hand from the shinobi's shoulders, "It's not going to change what I think of you."

"No?" Kakashi sounded unconvinced, "Can you guarantee that?"

"Yes." Said Mina decisively. She would feel horrified if someone, especially Kakashi, had judged her negatively based off her failures to save her kid-brother and family during the nine-tailed fox's attack, so she was determined to refrain from passing judgment.

"And what do you think of me now?"

Kakashi had somehow moved closer to her in the time they had been conversing on the couch so that she could almost catch a whiff of his musky cologne. The atmosphere of the room seemed to tense up, and Kakashi thought he saw Mina visibly stiffen.

"I think," said Mina finally after much deliberation, "that you're an annoying prat!" She cheekily gave him a thumbs up, "But that's much better than what I thought of you last week!"

Kakashi stared dumbfounded at the pretty girl sitting before him. She sure knew how to ruin a mood.

"Anyway," Mina continued, "I think you should just tell me, and if I do think differently of you in the end, then I'm a lousy friend who you should toss aside straight away."

Kakashi sighed in resignation. He wasn't going to escape this time, although a strange voice in the back of his head reminded him that he didn't even want to escape in the first place. There was something about spending time with Mina that made him feel warm inside, as if electricity was shooting all throughout his body. He hadn't felt this way in a long time.

"I was 13 when I was promoted to jounin," he began, "And I wasn't the greatest person to be honest…"

The whole time Kakashi painfully recounted his time in Minato Namikaze's team, Mina listened intently, gazing sympathetically at the silver haired shinobi. Her heart wrenched when he told her how Rin, his teammate, died by his own hands. He seemed to be shaking when he said this, and Mina almost regretted asking him to tell her in the first place. It was clear that discussing these memories might have opened up a fresh wound deep inside him. She tried to suppress the overwhelming urge to envelop him in a hug.

When Kakashi finally finished, Mina gazed glassy-eyed at him, murmuring, "You've been through so much."

Kakashi couldn't say anything in response, his eyes fixated on the drab green carpets of the apartment. He was afraid to look up at her face. What if it was filled with digust and disdain, much like the other villagers who'd looked at him, whispering friend killer behind his back years prior?

"I'm so sorry. If I'd known, I would've never insisted you tell me."

"No, it's okay." Kakashi finally lifted his head to meet her gaze, "It's hard to talk about. That's for sure. But—" He noticed a tiny wet tear slip from Mina's eye, "I almost feel better letting it all out, as if I've been purged of my sins, at least for the moment."

He reached up to Mina's face to quickly to dab away another tear with his thumb before it could fall, "There, there." He said gently, "I didn't know I was that pitiful."

Mina laughed weakly, pressing her cheek against Kakashi's warm hand. "You're right. You're not pitiful at all. In fact, I respect you, a lot, especially for turning out so well despite everything. I wouldn't have been surprised if you ended up a sociopath."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a familiar smile, and he moved his hand to ruffle Mina's hair before setting it back down into his lap, "Maybe I am." He suggested, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Mmm…" Mina considered this statement out loud, "My gut feeling tells me you're not."

Kakashi grinned sheepishly, "Well then, your gut feeling would be right."

The two of them sat on the couch for another two hours, chatting amiably, and the minutes passed by much quicker than either of them would like to admit. When the clock finally struck 10 P.M., Kakashi figured it was time to get out of her hair. He rose from the couch, stretching quickly.

"I better let you get your rest," said Kakashi, "can't have you falling asleep on the job."

"Shizune can worry about that, thank you very much!" Mina also rose to stand, letting out a small yawn. She padded over to the door, unlocking it, and opened it slowly. The rain had finally stopped, and the moon was shining brightly in the sky, basking the damp streets of Konoha with a cheerful glow.

"Thank you again for dinner," said Kakashi moving to step over the threshold to stand outside the apartment, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be."

"You thought it'd be bad?!" Mina narrowed her eyes at the copy-nin.

"Well after leaving you with the check the other day, I thought you might take this opportunity to poison me or something."

"Oh trust me, I was definitely considering it," lied Mina, her expression relaxing, "but I guess I'll just say that tonight wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be either.

Kakashi nodded, and the two of the stood in the doorway in a comfortable silence, one outside and one still within the walls of her apartment. Neither of them moved, even though it was obvious that this was the time to say goodbye. Instead, they just looked at each other, each feeling a strange sensation bubbling up inside, threatening to burst out.

"Well," Kakashi sighed finally, "I'll be going. Goodnight, Mina. I'll see you around." He reached out to ruffle her hair one last time before he waved, setting off to walk down the stairs of her complex and into the moonlit street below.

Mina waved back at the retreating figure, watching him intently until he disappeared from her sight. She reached up to fix her mussed up hair, smiling as she did so. A peculiar feeling was rising up within her, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was. She gingerly closed her door and padded to her bedroom, flopping onto her bed and laying down in the cool, dark room.

Unfortunately, try as she might, she laid awake for what seemed like hours, replaying the events at dinner over and over again in her mind. Her face hurt from smiling, and as she lay there, unable to shut her mind off, she wondered if Kakashi, too, was lying in his own respective bed, doing the exact same thing.

It might have surprised her to know that Kakashi laid in bed that night as well, eyes wide open, unable to sleep. He inwardly cursed, knowing that he had no business catching feelings for anyone, especially at this time in his life. He was a shinobi, after all, and his life span was unpredictable, as he often escaped the clutches of death off a mere whim or stroke of luck. Of course, Asuma and Kurenai had clearly decided to carry on their relationship regardless, ignoring the warnings, but look how that turned out. Even more discouraging was the idea that Mina was Genma's _. Well_ , she didn't belong to him, but Genma had certainly made it clear that she was off-limits. What's worse is that it wasn't as if Genma had a mere crush on her or liked her for shallow, superficial reasons. Genma _loved_ her, and Kakashi couldn't see himself getting in the way of that. Or then again, Kakashi thought as he turned to his side, maybe he could. He wasn't sure what his intentions were. Either way, he knew he had to resist the urge to see her, to touch her, to even hold her. It wouldn't do anyone any good, he reasoned. A relationship would never be in the cards for him.

The next few days passed by slowly, as Kakashi had his hands full attempting to crack the code given by Jiraya before his untimely death and work with his team as well as Tsunade in order to uncover the secrets behind Pain's Justu, as the head frog of Mount Myoboku, Fukasaku, had so savagely recalled. Mina, meanwhile, had returned to work as per usual, and hadn't noticed anything particularly interesting while on rounds. To her, the days wore on monotonously.

On one bright, clear morning, Mina awoke just a few seconds before her alarm was set to go off. She groaned and let out a yawn, cursing her luck as the alarm blared beside her. With a click rap to the clock, after which it fell silent, Mina slid off her bed and padded over to the window to look outside. It appeared to be a cloudless, beautiful day, even despite the slight chill that persisted over the village.

She turned from the window and headed into her bathroom, squeezing out a dot of toothpaste onto her toothbrush before beginning to vigorously brush her teeth. Mina had just finished her first cup of coffee when she felt the apartment violently tremble beneath her. A clock that had been mantled on her wall promptly fell to the floor with a crash, and there was a crunch of breaking china, as plates slipped from the kitchen counter.

 _What the hell?_ Mina had almost fallen off her chair due to the impact, and she shakily rose to her feet.

Before she had time to move, the apartment violently shook again, and this time Mina was flung to the ground, hitting her head on the sharp corner of the dining table as she fell. Sprawled on the floor and wincing, she reached behind her head to gingerly touch a bruised, wet spot that she was certain had hit the table. She was rewarded with a sharp pain, her fingers dripping with dark, scarlet colored blood.

A piercing scream could be heard outside, and she began to hear the thundering footsteps of a crowd running down the street. From her window, she could see neighbors slamming back the doors of their apartments and fleeing down the steps to join the crowd. She attempted to get up shakily, feeling rather woozy for a moment, but she was jolted into the present by another person bellowing down the street. She couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but she struggled to the front door regardless, flinging it open.

The smell of something burning instantly hit her, and the copious amounts of black smoke that surrounded the apartment complex stung her eyes. _Was it an earthquake? A fire?_ There was a sudden, deafening roar from somewhere nearby which answered her question. She couldn't see the monster presently, but she could hear it, and presumed that each shake of the ground was due to its movement.

"The village is under attack!" A man yelled beneath her, "everyone get to the shelter!"

Mina froze in the threshold for a moment. This scene was all too familiar to her, and her mind flashed back to the night of the nine-tailed fox just 16 years prior. She fell to her knees, panting and sweating profusely, her head pounding due to the sudden surge of bitter memories and stabs of regret that clouded her mind. The image of her brother slapping away her hand and running back into danger flashed in her mind over and over again, as she tried to regain control of her body, which seemed to be unresponsive.

She couldn't…no she would not react the same way she did that night. If it was the last thing she would ever do, Mina was determined to get up and help the villagers in some way. She had to. She couldn't let history repeat itself. With great effort, she slowly forced herself to get up, grabbing onto the doorframe to help pull herself to her feet. After much difficulty, she finally managed to stand upright, her legs still shaking below her. _That's a start._ She clenched her teeth and slowly began to make her way down the four flights of stairs. She hadn't yet regained the ability to run, but she hoped she would soon, as debris started to fly wildly around her.

Managing to make it to the pavement below, Mina finally turned her head in every which direction, taking in the utter chaos and destruction surrounding her. She saw several apartment buildings a few feet over leveled to the ground, as well as a trail of black smoke drifting ominously into the sky from a location several kilometers away.

Suddenly, what appeared to be a giant ox with metal receptors sticking out of its body crashed through an apartment complex a few hundred feet away and began to make it's way down the street right in the direction where Mina stood, frozen with fear. It snorted angrily as it ran straight for her, decimating any debris that stood in its way.

Mina's eyes widened at the oncoming monster. She glanced helplessly down at her feet, which seemed glued to the ground.

The two shinobi appeared out of nowhere, standing a few yards apart on a rooftop, one with brown hair and a senbon sticking out of his mouth, and the other with silver hair, donned in a mask. They looked at each other knowingly, immediately understanding the task at hand.

From where he stood, Genma realized with a lurch in his stomach that Kakashi would reach Mina faster, who he saw below him, standing helplessly in the path of one of Pain's rinnegan summons. Twisting his senbon in his mouth dispassionately, he resolved that he would need to create a diversion that would help them get away. He took off, running full speed in the direction of the ox, seeing in the corner of his eye a flash of silver leaping deftly to the ground. He turned his head to face forward, and he reached into his back pouch to grab a few kunai with paper bombs already attached. Skidding to a halt, he flung them in the direction of the ox, the kunai stabbing it squarely in its legs. With a quick hand sign, the paper bombs exploded, and the beast came to a halt, screeching furiously, enveloped in smoke. He looked back just in time to see Kakashi scoop Mina from the ground and bound off in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, Mina had been bracing herself for a painful impact that never came. She finally opened her eyes, one at a time, upon feeling a warm body pressed against her, its study arms holding her body tightly to its chest.

"Kakashi?" she managed to sputter, "How did you—when did you—"

"Just a gut feeling I had." He answered simply, not looking at her, "I'm taking you to the shelter. You'll be safe there."

"What?" _The shelter?_ With a deep pang in her heart, she remembered how badly she'd wanted to go to the shelter 16 years ago, enough to abandon her own parents, who she'd foolishly assumed were safe. She shook her head resentfully at his suggestion, "I'm a medic. Take me to the hospital, now."

At this remark, Kakashi spared a glance down at the girl he held in his arms while he raced to the shelter. "You're bleeding," he said, noticing the back of her head matted with dried blood and clumps of hair stuck together.

"Yes, I am, and I'm sure there are going to be hundreds worse off than me," said Mina, "so like I said, please take me straight to the hospital."

Kakashi shook his head. For some reason, Mina looked even smaller and more fragile than usual in his arms. The fierce desire to protect her and keep her safe grew resolutely in his heart. "I saw you back there. You froze up, again."

"And I can't say I blame you for it with what's going on," said Kakashi, wincing slightly as though the words were sharp in his throat.

"I know," she spat, "but I'm not the same girl I was 16 years ago." She glared up at Kakashi with a fierce gaze of determination he'd never seen before in her eyes, "I can't just stand around and do nothing. Take me to the hospital. I'm not going to ask again"

There was silence. Kakashi was contemplating her demand. He knew she was injured, but he also had a strange feeling that the infamous Akatsuki leader might target the hospital. It would be unguarded, after all, as most shinobi would be concentrated on trying to bring down the massive monsters summoned or the other paths that terrorized the streets.

"Kakashi, please," Mina pressed on softly. Kakashi and Mina's eyes met. She was sure she'd seen a hint of worry flash through his dark-colored eyes.

He swallowed hard, still feeling rather uneasy, but he immediately turned, switching directions toward the hospital. Mina said nothing, having seemed to notice the change in direction, but he could tell she was grateful.

At last, they'd reached the hospital, and he gently set her down on the white tile floors. Already, there were hundreds of injured villagers and shinobi sprawled all over the lobby, some laying on white cots, others slumped over with their backs leaning against the walls. Kakashi caught her eye, but looked away. He was about to run off when he heard a voice behind him.

"Wait!"

Slowly, Kakashi turned around and forced himself to look Mina directly into her eyes.

"Kakashi…I—"

Kakashi said nothing, watching Mina as she struggled to speak.

"Thank you for saving my life," said Mina finally. Her gaze still didn't waver.

"It was nothi—"

"Look," she interrupted him suddenly, "I know you've got to go back out there."

Kakashi nodded silently, feeling oddly torn between wanting to hurl himself outside or stay at the hospital, watching over the woman that stood before him until things cleared up.

"I just wanted to—I—" Mina's eyes now were swimming with worry, "please come back safely. Please come back alive."

The corner of Kakashi's mouth twitched, and he wrenched his gaze away from Mina's, feeling suddenly very guilty. If Pain was out there, and he had been powerful enough to kill Jiraya of all people, it was very unlikely he might see her face ever again. Yet, as he looked up again, noticing her glassy expression, he knew he didn't have the heart to tell her.

"I'll do my best."

"No," insisted Mina, "do better than your best."

Kakashi managed to chuckle weakly, his eyes creasing into a familiar smile, "I promise."

"You better."

"Like I've said before, I'm a man of my word."

Kakashi took these last few seconds in the hospital to really look at Mina, imprinting into his mind her heart shaped face, her delicate nose and pink lips, her light-colored eyes, and her long light brown hair tied in its signature ponytail. She looked beautiful, even as something dark and wet trickled down the nape of her neck. It was difficult to imagine that this might be the last time he saw her face. Unable to stay any longer, as he knew he might be tempted to, he turned his back on her and did his best to impart a casual wave.

"I'll see you, Mina."

Even though he hadn't heard her reply, he could feel her beaming back at him as he exited the doors of the hospital and bound off from the ground, flying into the fray yet again, as he knew he was destined to.

* * *

I wasn't originally planning to end the chapter like this haha but I got a little bit lazy. Anyway, I think we all know what's going to happen to Kakashi if you've followed the manga or anime. I hope you're enjoying the chapters! Things are finally starting to head in a romantic direction between these two :') Also, for everyone who wants to see Genma again, he'll be in the next chapter a lot, so don't worry!


	7. Chapter 7

To say that the hospital was in an utter state of chaos and disorder would be an understatement. Everywhere Mina turned, she saw injured civilians and shinobi alike, slumped over against the hospital's usually stark white walls, or laid down on makeshift cots, groaning in pain. To make matters worse, the hospital was not even close to being full staffed, as a majority of the day-shift workers, not unlike Mina, must have been about to clock in before the attack. It was possible they'd gone straight for the shelter; however, it was also possible they'd been gravely injured and left out on the streets, or worse: dead. Mina tried to focus on the situation at hand, wondering where to go first. _Where was Shizune? Her superiors? Wasn't there anyone in charge?_

Hastily, Mina ran to nearest person, a man sitting down on the tile floors, holding his ankle with a pained expression.

"Sir, I'm a medic!" said Mina kneeling down beside the man, "Where are you experiencing pain?"

The man, clenching his teeth, jerked his head down towards his ankle. He breathed heavily, "A streetlamp or something fell on my ankle, and—"

Mina's eyes flickered over the man's leg, noticing the severe bruising and swelling of the ankle.

"I think I heard something snap," he finished, panting.

Mina nodded, and carefully placed her hands over the injured ankle, emitting her own chakra. Indeed, the ankle had been fractured badly, as was expected, and she removed her hands calmly. Glancing down the lobby, she estimated that there must have been almost 500 patients in need of medical care. There was no way she could heal everyone with her chakra regardless how minor their injuries may be: she would indefinitely run out eventually, especially considering the lack of staff at hand. Besides, she figured there must be people in even worse conditions. The majority of her chakra reserves would have to go to them.

"I'm going to have to splint your leg," she said calmly, "and its just going to act as a stopgap until you can get some real treatment, which might not be until the chaos outside dies down."

The man nodded, wincing as she began to carefully wrap his foot in white bandages.

"Be sure to not walk on it or move it at all, if you can," instructed Mina as she finished the splint, tying it securely with another bandage, "and keep it elevated if you can, as well."

The man nodded again, seeming to understand her instructions, and Mina rose from the ground, looking around for the other medics. She spotted a pink head of hair jog past her, gasping as she surveyed the scene.

"Sakura!" Mina shouted, waving her arms and she sped over to the younger medic-nin.

Sakura looked up, an expression of worry clouding her face, "Mina," she said with a brave attempt at a smile, "it's good to see a familiar face around here."

"We're understaffed, and I have no idea where Shizune is," said Mina, "There's so many patients. Even the staff is in a state of confusion. We have to get organized somehow."

"Shizune is working hard right now to uncover Pain's secret," answered Sakura firmly, "She won't be here for a while, if ever. But Tsunade-sama has left the hospital to me." She looked up at Mina with a determined expression, "Will you help me, Mina?"

"Of course Sakura, whatever you need."

"Alright!" she barked, feeling more confident than before, "Here's the plan," said Sakura addressing the large crowd, "Everyone that can walk needs to evacuate to the shelter."

"The critically wounded are going to be coded with the color red. Yellow will indicate that they can wait for treatment. And those with minor injuries will be green." Sakura looked around at everyone to see that they understood her orders, "Once we finish organizing the patients, I'll need the majority of medics to be in the OR to help those who are in critical condition. More seriously injured people will soon arrive, so I'll also need people to stand by the entrance and organize everyone who comes in. Does everyone understand the plan?"

There was no singular response, but many of those with minor injuries rose from the crowd to stand, attempting to head to the shelter. Far too many remained behind however, their limbs wrapped extensively with bandages, unable to move themselves. In particular, Mina noticed out of the corner of her eye a small girl, no older than ten, sitting with her back against a wall, knees drawn to her chest. Even from where Mina stood, she could see the girl visibly trembling, her head drooping, eyes downcast.

She rushed over to the girl, feeling strangely as if she was seeing a former ghost of who she used to be, just 16 years ago.

"Are you alright, miss?" asked Mina, kneeling down beside her.

The girl continued to shake, unable to speak; however she shook her head. Tears began to spill out of her eyes, "My m-mother…my f-father…" she managed to stutter in between sobs.

Mina gazed down sympathetically at the girl, a large lump rising in her throat. Surely, she hadn't lost her family in an attack on the village too? She placed an arm reassuringly on the girl's shoulders. Although she couldn't say much to console her, she knew one thing, "Eventually, this will end, and we will all be okay again." She tried her best to smile as the girl looked up her with wide eyes, "You're going to be okay,"

The girl said nothing, but her loud sobbing had ceased.

"Can you walk?" asked Mina, giving her a cursory once over, noticing that she only seemed to suffer from a few minor scratches.

The girl nodded, but she seemed reluctant to move.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Mina murmured. She turned her head to look for anyone that could escort the girl to the shelter. After all, she had a much better chance of survival if she could just get there unharmed. She spotted a shinobi with brown hair tied into a ponytail hoisting another injured civilian into the lobby of the hospital. When he had deposited the civilian down onto a chair, Mina waved wildly at him from where she stood, "Hey!"

He turned to look at her in surprise, wondering if the woman could indeed be summoning him. Nonetheless, he walked over briskly.

"I'm sorry to ask this of you," Mina said breathlessly, "but I was wondering if there was any way you could escort this young girl to the shelter? I would if I could, but all medics are stuck here." She glanced up hopefully at the shinobi who to her surprise consented instantly as if he didn't even need to think twice.

"Of course!" he replied, "I'll try to escort as many people to the shelter from here as I can."

"You will?" Mina breathed a sigh of relief, "thank you so much."

The shinobi smiled weakly before offering a hand to the young girl sitting on the floor, coaxing her to come with him to the shelter. Mina turned away from the two, feeling a sense of satisfaction. She had a feeling the young girl would be safe now.

Without giving herself much time to think, Mina moved onto the next patient, marking him as yellow upon examining his fractured ribs and legs. The minutes passed by like hours as Mina found herself working tirelessly to organize and administer first aid to patients. Already Sakura and a few others had begun to tend to the critically wounded, but Mina opted to stay in the lobby, feeling rather uneasy about her skills given the situation. Like Kakashi had mentioned earlier, she had froze right in the path of danger, to her dismay. She couldn't trust herself to be doing surgery at the moment.

Deep down, however, Mina reckoned there was probably another reason why she had chosen to stay in the lobby. With the constant influx of shinobi carrying injured comrades or civilians into the hospital, Mina desperately hoped to hear news about her friends, particularly Genma and Kakashi, who she knew were in the village somewhere, risking their lives. Unfortunately, it appeared as though no one knew exactly what was going on. Apparently there were several threats running around the village rather than just one, and this had set off even more confusion among shinobi forces.

Mina tried to remind herself that Genma and Kakashi were full grown men who were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. They had already gotten this far and landed in the hospital more times than anyone could count, and yet, they would reemerge from recovery just a week or two later as if nothing had happened, setting off to encounter the harsh life of shinobi again and again. They were resilient and strong and smart. There was no way they could be taken out so easily. "They're okay," Mina whispered to herself repeatedly. They had to be.

Luckily for her, there seemed to be no end in sight of patients coming in, as the hospital continued to tremble and shake from time to time. It appeared as if the attack had still not ceased, but Mina had no time to be worried or to pace endlessly: she had a job to do, and she resolutely brought her focus back to this task.

After she'd finished patching up another shinobi, she turned her head toward the entrance just as a familiar brown haired shinobi with a senbon miraculously still twisting about in his mouth hobbled in, supported by another shinobi whom she had seen before once. Mina felt her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. It was as if they had not even fought weeks ago, as if nothing had happened between them, when she rushed forward to help Genma to the ground. He was badly injured, having been stabbed repeatedly in the chest, wet hot blood trickling down slowly from the open wounds.

"Genma!" she gasped, her eyes flickering over his bruised and bloodied body. She immediately began to tear off his flak jacket and lift up his shirt.

Genma's eyes peeked open precariously, the image of Mina wavering in front of him. He smirked, "I didn't know you were so keen to get me naked all this time,"

Mina glared at him, her eyes wide, her lips slightly parted, ready to launch herself forward to pummel him into the ground.

"The fact that you can even make jokes right now at a time like this is astonishing!" said Mina running her hands over his bare chest, being a little rougher than usual, eliciting a groan from the snarky shinobi below her. Luckily, whoever attacked Genma had missed all his vital spots.

"Maybe—" Genma tilted his head to look Mina in the eye, "I make these jokes _precisely_ because it is a time like this."

"People are dying Genma, people are _dead_." Mina focused her attention on checking Genma's wounds, not returning his gaze.

"You don't have to tell me that. I've seen all of it." Genma's low voice grumbled, and Mina knew that what he was saying was true. Here, in the hospital she had seen plenty on the verge of death, but she was sure there was even worse carnage outside the hospital walls, where dead bodies would be left until the end of this attack.

"How are you, by the way?" Genma's eyes flickered over the medic above him, noticing that she was breathing faster than usual as she scrutinized his wounds.

Finally she met his gaze, her eyes ablaze, "Me?" she cried, "You avoid me for _weeks_ and _now_ you want to know how I'm doing?"

"And—" she continued, not giving him a chance to reply, almost screaming, "why the _hell_ are you asking about me when you should be worrying about yourself—I mean, look at you!" she motioned at his battered body.

Genma did indeed look down at his body the best he could, chuckling, trying to sit up. He hadn't seen Mina this out of control in a long time. He winced in pain as Mina slapped him brusquely on the shoulder, "Don't try to get up!"

There was silence for a moment as Mina reached into her first aid kid to grab a sterile needle and thread. She decided she was going to stitch Genma up manually as best she could. He watched her quietly, a weak grin still plastered on his face.

"Why are you here, Mina?"

He clarified upon meeting her stony expression, "I mean, why aren't you at the shelter?"

"I'm a medic, or did you forget already in the month you've been avoiding me?" said Mina with awful sarcasm.

"Stupid Kakashi…" he muttered under his breath, feeling annoyance bubble up inside of him at the thought of the copy-nin bringing her here.

"Oh don't even start on him."

Genma was about to question why Mina seemed so intent on defending Kakashi when she suddenly shrieked, her needle dropping to the floor with a clang. He watched as a white and blue slug wriggled out from underneath his flak jacket.

"Do not worry!" the slug said in a calm voice, noticing Mina's shocked face, "I am Katsuya. Tsunade-sama has summoned me to watch over the villagers."

Mina glanced down at Genma's chest, noticing for the first time that his wounds had closed up on their own. She looked back at the slug cautiously. If Tsunade had sent this slug to help all the villagers, it was no wonder Genma was healing so fast. Tsunade must have channeled her chakra through it to heal him. Stitching seemed out of the question now.

"See?" said Genma, "I'm all good to go now. No need to freak—"

He was interrupted as Mina addressed Katsuya directly, "Do you perhaps know any more information about what's going on outside?"

"Well," the slug hesitated, "from what I can tell, the Akatsuki leader, Pain, is looking for the nine-tailed jinchurki, Naruto."

"Naruto?" Mina's breath seemed to hitch in her throat as an image of a cheerful, bright, blonde-haired shinobi popped into her mind.

"Yes," insisted Katsuya, "He's been asking everyone in sight if they know of his whereabouts, but nobody has told him so far."

"A shinobi of the village hidden in the leaves would never sell out another comrade," said Genma, who was listening intently to what Katsuya was relaying, "especially if it's Naruto."

Mina nodded slowly, taking in everything the slug had been saying before another question popped into her mind.

"If Tsunade has you attached to everyone in the village out there, does this mean you know the condition of certain people?"

"That would be right," replied Katsuya in a calm voice.

"Then—do you know if…someone named Kakashi Hatake is okay?"

Mina could feel Genma's eyes bore into her. No doubt he was probably wondering why she was so concerned about the jounin that he'd once introduced to her at a smoky bar weeks ago, but Mina didn't have an answer for him, so she focused her attention solely on Katsuya who regarded her question carefully.

"Kakashi…Hatake?"

Mina nodded fervently, "He's someone who is—"

 _Dear to me_. She couldn't manage to say the rest of what she had been thinking out loud. Speaking those words out loud, acknowledging that she might have burgeoning feelings for the apathetic and aloof copy-nin would make everything so much more complicated, and she was unsure if she was ready to deal with that right at this moment.

"I understand," said Katsuya gently, "I'll do my best to check right now."

Genma finally sat up, wincing slightly due to the bruises on his body that hadn't been healed. Mina didn't object, seeing as he could have been marked 'green' and been sent on his way to the shelter by now. Deep down, she knew he wouldn't; instead, he would force his way back outside, deaf to her protests, to keep fighting, honorable as always.

"Anywhere else that hurts?" Mina brought her attention back to Genma.

He shook his head, still watching Mina curiously. When had her and Kakashi gotten close? He hadn't believed that they'd slept together the night he'd met Natsumi, and yet, he felt a surge of bitterness well up inside him seeing that the worried expression on her face usually reserved for him was meant solely for the infamous copy-nin.

"I've found him…" said Katsuya. Both heads whipped around to look at the slug, anticipating her response.

"I've checked over and over again to make sure, but Hatake Kakashi—"

The slug hesitated before finally replying, "he's dead."

There was movement going on around them, as people bustled about, bringing in more wounded civilians every minute that ticked by, and yet to Mina, it was all meaningless noise; in this moment it did not matter, in fact, nothing mattered except that Kakashi Hatake could not be gone just like that. Mina did not believe it. She wouldn't believe it. He was one of the most highly regarded jounin in this entire village. He was a man that survived through and through, even when he seemingly tried to throw himself into the clutches of death. Kakashi Hatake could not be dead. It wasn't possible.

The only noise she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding in her chest as she pleaded the slug to check again, "Please, maybe he's just sleepi—"

"He has no pulse, and he hasn't had one for what looks like a while now," replied the slug apologetically, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Maybe he's just passed—"

Before Mina could finish, she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at Genma who shook his head solemnly at her, silently confirming her worst fears.

The silence of the room, the numbness that was beginning to overtake her body, the horrible fact of his death…all these factors threatened to overwhelm her. Somehow, she managed to rise shakily to her feet, shrugging off Genma's comforting hand. All she wanted and all she needed in this moment was to be alone. Another second spent in this miserable hospital wing seemed truly unbearable, and Mina tore away from Genma and Katsuya, running down the hallway and into the corridor where finally alone, she sank down against the wall, feeling fresh tears welling up in her eyes.

She heard footsteps down the hallway and knew instinctively it was Genma, but she hadn't the energy to shout at him to leave her alone. All she could do was weep silently, her knees drawn to her chest, feeling a mixture of deep loss and confusion.

Genma stared at the crumpled figure braced against the wall, feeling a sense of heavy loss sweep over him as well. He'd known Kakashi basically all his life, and to imagine that he wouldn't be seeing him around anymore was difficult, almost unimaginable. He sank down to sit next to Mina, who was quietly weeping beside him, not sure of what to say. Only after a few minutes passed did he finally dare to speak.

"You cared about him," said Genma quietly.

Mina didn't respond even though she'd heard Genma loud and clear. She mulled over his words. Did she care about him? Enough to react like this? She'd only known him for a little over a month, and yet it was like he'd somehow wormed his way into her life so that she almost expected to see him around nearly everyday, even if it was just in passing. Even more troubling to Mina was the idea that she'd lost what she could only describe as potential—the potential of what could have been, the potential for something more akin to love rather than friendship. But was it selfish of her to mourn that? Shouldn't she have just been crying over the fact that he was irrefutably gone? Was her reaction even appropriate for a man she'd only known for a few weeks? All these thoughts continued to swirl around in her head at lightning speed, and Mina couldn't even begin to think clearly.

"I didn't—really." She said finally in an attempt to bury her feelings.

Genma surveyed his best friend carefully, "You're a terrible liar Mina. Always have been."

"No," insisted Mina, "I only knew him for a little while—and I barely knew him, too."

"But that doesn't really matter now, does it?"

Genma paused before continuing, "You clearly cared about him enough to be upset like this, and I don't want you to torture yourself by questioning it, wondering if it's okay or not to care or feel. You feel what you feel, and that's it, that's all there is."

"I don't—"

"You care." Genma repeated again gently, "It's okay to care. It's okay to feel, Mina. Just let it happen. Don't fight it anymore."

At these words, Mina descended into sobs, burying her head into Genma's chest as her hot, wet tears streaked down his shirt. In response, he wrapped his warm, comforting arms around her, pulling her into an embrace, like he had so many times before in the past year, stroking her hair softly. The two friends stayed in this position for what seemed like forever, as the attack continued to carry on outside, the hospital trembling every now and then. Genma knew that he had to get back out there, but he couldn't leave Mina like this, alone. He wanted to stay with her for as long as possible, for if Kakashi had already met a certain death fighting against Pain, he was sure he might as well once he stepped back outside.

After a while, he kissed the top of her forehead before pulling back. He noticed one part of his shirt was a shade darker than the rest, having been the recipient of Mina's tears.

"I have to go," he murmured, gazing longingly down at Mina, who sniffled, wiping her eyes.

"Genma—"

"No ifs, ands, or buts about it." He interrupted, putting on a smile as best he could, "I'm a shinobi. You know this."

"I know but—"

"Hey! What did I just say?"

"Come on, Genma!" Mina's grey eyes met his brown colored ones, "I—I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too. This past month without you has really _sucked_."

Genma frowned, feeling guilt rise up inside him like a balloon. He nodded apologetically, "I know…I was being stupid—"

"And a complete ass if you want me to keep going."

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. It was a good sign if she was up to insulting him. "I'm truly sorry for all that Mina."

"Fine," Mina huffed, "I forgive you. You baka."

Genma grinned cheekily. A large weight suddenly had been lifted off his shoulders.

He started to stand, but Mina protested again.

"Genma please—"

"I'll be careful. I know, I know." He glanced down at Mina who stared up at him with a worried expression, "You're not my mother."

"I very well could be seeing how you carelessly throw your life around like it's nothing!"

"Look," said Genma, "Think of it this way. If I'm not around to tease you and drive you crazy, who will be?"

Mina muttered something incomprehensible under her breath, but Genma was sure it had been something sarcastic and snarky. _Progress_.

"It's my duty to protect this village and everyone in it, including you Mina—and I can't stand around and do nothing while there are people out there who need my help."

At these familiar words, Mina met Genma's soft, yet determined gaze. He sounded just like someone she'd known.

No longer weeping, Mina sighed heavily, forcing herself to accept Genma's decision. After all, it wasn't like she expected anything less of him. This was the life that he'd chosen for himself, and this was the life that she knew he loved. She couldn't hold him back from that. It would be selfish.

"Then go," she said, with an oddly twisted smile, "I know you well enough to know that there is nothing I could say right now that would stop you."

Genma nodded serenely, although he imagined that it was possible that three little words might delay his departure a bit further, but he doubted he would ever hear it from her, at least not in the way he wanted.

"I'll try my best," he said precariously, "to come back to you, alive."

Mina simply looked at him.

"If I die, take care of Natsumi, yeah?"

"Yeah right," snorted Mina.

"Joking, joking," Genma laughed, "but on a more serious note," he said pointedly, "Be safe, Mina."

Mina seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, before she finally replied, "I'll be expecting to see you back here—possibly wounded, but most importantly _alive_!"

Genma gave her a thumbs up, "You got it."

Then, he gave her a quick wave, smiling all the while, and without another word, he ran down the hallway, disappearing out of sight.

Mina remained in the same spot for a few moments, reflecting over everything that had just happened. For some reason, she felt a lot better, as if she could finally face the crowded lobby of the hospital for the first time since she'd heard of Kakashi's death. Maybe letting it all out onto Genma's poor, unfortunate shirt had done it, but Mina stood up and began to make her way back into the hospital, determination in each step.

The lobby hadn't changed much since she'd left it thirty minutes ago. Most of the people remaining there were either medics or patients who had been unable to walk themselves over to the shelter. Mina noticed another shinobi hobbling in with the support of another, wincing with every step he took. She immediately walked over and introduced herself, "I'm Mina. I'm a medic here. Where are you hurting?"

"Everywhere," the shinobi replied, grimacing, "but I've definitely broken my foot."

"Okay, set him down very carefully," ordered Mina to the other shinobi who complied. Mina began to perform what felt like the hundredth splint of the day, rummaging for bandages in her first aid kit. To her surprise, Katsuya wriggled out from underneath the shinobi's shirt.

"Katsuya!" said Mina, "You're here too!"

"Yes," the slug answered serenely, "Mina-san was it? Genma asked me to look over you"

"Did he?" Mina was adding the last few bandages to the splint, getting ready to tie them into a knot, securing it when she heard yelling coming from outside. Everyone in the hospital seemed to have heard the noise as well, and all heads turned to face the direction of the clamor as the doors of the hospital slid open to reveal a man frantically rushing in.

"Everyone!" He shouted, "Pain is about to—"

The man never finished his sentence. There was a flash of blinding white light, and a bang like a cannon blast, and suddenly everything was gone.

* * *

Mina lay facedown, listening to the silence. The smell of the earth filled her nostrils, and she could feel the cold hard ground beneath her cheeks. Every inch of her body ached, as if she had been hit repeatedly with an ironclad punch. She wondered if she was alive, or if she was indeed in the afterlife, but she dared not open her eyes yet. She was afraid of what she might see.

Suddenly, she felt a great weight remove itself from her and a blinding sunlight and warmth hit her instantly. Mina stirred, opening one eye cautiously before opening the other. Indeed, she was facedown in the earth as she expected. _But what had happened?_ She could have sworn that she was in the hospital just moments before. Gritting her teeth, she attempted to sit up, but found her body incredibly weak from whatever had just occurred, and she struggled, her arms shaking, barely able to prop herself up.

"Mina-san, be careful. You are injured!"

She heard a calm voice speak. She turned her head to see Katsuya next to her, about 50 times her size from when she had seen her before. _What was going on?_

"Wh-where are we?" asked Mina. Her eyes finally adjusted to the sunlight beaming down on the earth, and she surveyed her surroundings, not recognizing the vast stretch of wasteland that she sat in. Large amounts of dust were still settling to the ground, so she couldn't see as far as usual, however, she knew that she was no longer within the walls of a hospital.

"We—we are still in the village hidden in the leaves."

A shock ran down Mina's spine. "What?!" Her voice trembled as she looked around at her surroundings once more. "It can't be!"

"Take a closer look," said Katsuya gently, "Tsunade-sama used her mitotic regeneration to shield everyone in the village from the impact of Pain's jutsu, however—she could not save the village itself."

Everywhere Mina turned, she saw earth, dust, and debris. All the buildings that once made up the village had been obliterated, completely pushed to the perimeters of Konoha, all mashed together and crumbled in large heaps. In just the blink of an eye, everything she'd ever known her entire life had been destroyed. Her home was gone, just like that.

"Wh-what is this?" said Mina, struggling to stand up, "How could this hap—"

"Mina! Don't try to get up!" said Katsuya, "you'll only hurt yourself!"

At these words, Mina slipped back to the ground, falling onto her knees, her hands clenched. Tears began to involuntarily slip from her eyes, and Mina inwardly cursed, wiping them away immediately. She was tired of crying and tired of feeling weak and helpless. She immediately began to search around her for survivors, squinting to see through the dust.

More people had begun to emerge from and underneath Katsuya, who had divided herself enough times to shield almost all those in the village with her own body. Although most people seemed to be alive miraculously, they all appeared to be as beaten and battered as Mina herself, barely able to move.

"W-who could have done this?" a man said a few feet away from her as he surveyed the damage, "w-who could have leveled the entire village with one single justu?"

"It's clear who did it," another answered from somewhere behind Mina, "It was Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki."

"He's had a justu like this the whole time?" the man sputtered, "Why didn't he use it in the first place?"

The other man didn't have an answer. He just shook his head sadly. Everyone surrounding Mina sat in silence; still in shock that the village they'd once known was no longer. Destruction on this level was unheard of, and perhaps even unfathomable. If the leader of the Akatsuki had the power to do this, what person in this entire village could stop him?

"Wait," said Katsuya breaking the silence, "someone else has appeared in the middle of the clearing—i-it's Naruto!"

"Naruto?" the man beside her asked in surprise, "He's here?"

"Yes," answered Katsuya, "and he's brought help from the toads of Mount Myoboku!"

"Still," another voice muttered, "is Naruto strong enough to defeat the leader of the Akatsuki by himself?"

"He's our only hope. We have to believe he can," said a woman wearily.

"Yes," Katsuya affirmed, "Naruto has gotten much stronger since the last time I've seen him. He's mastered sage justu from what I can tell, and he is now engaging in battle with Pain."

"Sage justu?!"

The crowd behind Mina murmured excitedly at the mention of this, their morale having been lifted slightly. Mina hadn't the faintest idea what sage justu was, but she felt proud nonetheless of her former patient. He must have accomplished an amazing feat, which was nothing less than what she expected of him anyway.

"That kid has really become something else…" the man beside her murmured.

Mina nodded firmly in agreement. From where she sat, she couldn't see the middle of the clearing, which was surrounded by a thick cloud of dust that seemed content to hang about in the air; however, she hoped with her entire heart that Naruto would be able to save the village. In this moment, he was truly their only hope.

As the next hour passed by, Katsuya acted like a radio, transmitting every detail of Naruto's battle with Pain. All throughout the village, every single citizen and shinobi listened intently, their hearts leaping with joy when they heard that Naruto took down one of the paths of Pain with one, single blow, their souls aching when they heard that Naruto had been stabbed in six places by Pain, immobilized by large metal receptors. With every move that Naruto made, the village seemed to hold their breath, genuinely praying for his safety and success. Naruto had often repeated his dream to Mina while he'd been in physical therapy: to be Hokage and to be acknowledged by everyone in the village. She couldn't hold back a smile as she glanced around her. There was no doubt that every single person was acknowledging him now: his dreams were coming true right before her eyes. She wondered if he could sense it.

When at last, Katsuya relayed that Naruto had succeeded in talking Pain out of destroying the village and abandoning his plans as leader of the Akatsuki, there was sudden flash of light, and green beams of chakra began to shoot down from the sky onto the several scattered bodies around the village. To people's apparent shock, those that were previously dead began to rise once more, as if they had simply been cast in a deep sleep the entire time. Thankful sobs erupted around her, as people threw themselves onto their loved ones and friends. Mina's thoughts immediately wandered to that of one particular shinobi, her heart leaping painfully against her ribs like a frantic bird wanting to be freed.

"Naruto-kun is on his way back now," said Katsuya, "Thanks to him, Pain has chosen to sacrifice his life to bring back to life everyone he's killed, and he's entrusted Naruto with a mission: to find true peace." Amidst the villager's quiet celebration, all turned to looked at Katsuya.

There was one shivering second of silence before the shock of the moment suspended. The tumult broke around Mina as the cheers and roars of the watchers filled the air. The dust had finally settled and everywhere Mina looked, people were celebrating and beginning to run toward the edge of the village to welcome back their savior. The dazzling sun shone down brightly on the village, which blazed with life and light. Mina got up as well, running to join the outpour of jubilation and celebration. It was finally over, and she felt a sense of calm as she stood in the crowd, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of the blonde-haired cheeky boy she'd come to know.

After a few minutes of waiting, she heard a deafening roar that could only mean one thing, and the crowds around her thundered forward, pressing in, all of them determined to congratulate and thank Naruto for his endeavors. Mina, however, stood back, knowing that a small girl like her could never fight her way through the crowd. She would have to thank him afterwards.

Surveying the celebration around her, she caught a glimpse of a silver-haired shinobi standing back within the shade of the trees, quietly watching the scene before him unfold, grinning slightly as Naruto began to be tossed into the air by his comrades. _Kakashi._ Mina had no idea when she had started to run. She was sure she had been walking at first, but as the view of Kakashi grew closer and closer, her feet had moved on their own, and she had broken out into a run, whipping past the exuberant crowd.

Finally, she skidded to a halt in front of him, and he glanced up at her in surprise.

"Mina," Kakashi breathed, feeling his heart unwillingly skip in his chest. He gave a weak smile, but before he could say much more, Mina launched herself forward and started punching every inch of him she could reach.

"You—stupid—baka—Kakashi—Hatake!" Mina punctuated every work with a blow.

Kakashi moved away, instinctively grabbing a hold of her wrists as she advanced once again. She struggled against his hold, still shouting, "You—promised—and—you—went—and— _died_ —on—me!"

Despite her efforts, she couldn't outmaneuver Kakashi or seem to wrestle her arms from his grip.

"Mina," said Kakashi, "Calm—"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she interjected fiercely, "You went and died, and it was by a MERE STROKE OF LUCK that you managed to survive! Do you know how _worried_ I was?!"

To her indignation, Kakashi simply looked at her and smirked, still holding on tight to her wrists so she couldn't attack him any further. "Is this possibly your way of saying you're glad I'm alive?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"NO!" answered Mina vehemently, but she met Kakashi's calm gaze and immediately all the anger that had suddenly sprouted inside her withered away.

"I mean—" Mina looked down her feet, "maybe," she whispered.

"For the record," said Kakashi, finally releasing her wrists from his grip, "I'm glad you're safe and alive too."

"You ar—?"

Before Mina could finish, Kakashi had pulled her into a warm embrace, her face instantly smushed into his sturdy chest, his arms wrapped firmly around her tiny body. A scarlet blush threatened to overtake her entire face as she stood there helplessly in Kakashi's arms. She couldn't help but notice that she somehow fit perfectly into him and for a few seconds, she allowed herself to let the moment sink in, reaching her arms up cautiously to embrace him as well. "Thank Kami you're okay," he whispered into her hair.

Finally, he released her, and they pulled back from each other, each feeling a little embarrassed, each with a tinge of pink creeping onto their cheeks. Kakashi chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while Mina quickly turned to face the crowd, which was still in an uproar about Naruto. Luckily, no one had been paying attention to them, or so she thought. She heard a girlish giggle and she glanced at Sakura who had broken away from the crowd. She smiled mischievously at the two, giving a wink to her sensei, who immediately pretended to look the other way, a feeling of dread rising up inside him as he realized that he would never hear the end of this from his former students.

A couple of yards away, Genma watched as Mina and Kakashi broke away from each other, his senbon twitching restlessly in his mouth, his heart sinking into his stomach. He couldn't pretend that what he'd just seen hadn't broken his heart, and he forced himself to tear his gaze from them. He couldn't bear to watch anymore, not when it felt like his insides were burning. Next to him, Natsumi impatiently tapped his shoulder.

"Genma?" she asked, "what are you looking at?"

He didn't even look at his girlfriend before responding, "Nothing—nothing at all."

"Are you sure? You seem kind of—"

"Forget it, Natsumi. Let's just head home!" said Genma, turning from the crowd. He stopped after a few steps when he noticed that Natsumi hadn't followed him. He swiveled around, "Problem?"

"Well," Natsumi began, her eyes flickering over what used to be the village, "It's just—we don't have one anymore."

At her words, Genma, too, looked around and inwardly cursed, thinking how stupid he was to have forgotten what had happened. Natsumi was absolutely right. Although Naruto had defeated the Akatsuki leader and brought peace back to the village, there would be no warm bed to return home to tonight. _Yamato's going to have a shit time rebuilding everything._ He thought to himself as he gazed out at the scene of vast desolation. _And I'm going to have a shit time helping him._ Genma sighed out loud, shaking his head. He was absolutely exhausted and he ached in places where he didn't even know it was possible, but there would be no rest for him tonight. Once again, the duty of shinobi called, and he resolutely had to meet it.

"Genma?" Natsumi's voice called Genma back from his thoughts, "Are you sure everything's alright?"

Genma didn't look at her still, but instead cocked his head to gaze at the extremely blue sky, dappled with fluffy white clouds. He wasn't the type of person to allow bitterness to overwhelm him, so he breathed deeply and willed himself to let go of his negative feelings. After all, he should have been celebrating. Just moments ago, he could have been dead, and yet, in spite of all the odds, he was alive. Although it had pained him to see how close Kakashi and Mina had gotten in his absence, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was yet another golden day of peace left to enjoy with her and his loved ones. That, he decided, was something to be joyful about, and he watched the sun begin to slip from the horizon, casting a warm glow on what was left of the village, signaling the end of a crazy, tumultuous day and the beginning of much needed period of peace. Everyone could finally relax...at least, for now.

* * *

Phew! That was a really difficult chapter to write, simply because I just wasn't sure how I wanted to describe the invasion of Pain. Anyway, there might be a lot of errors, but I really wanted to get this out. All the kind reviews and people favoriting and following this story definitely motivated me, so I'm super thankful for everyone who's been keeping up with this fanfic! I also was super giddy when I was writing in the Kakashi and Mina scene hahahaha. You call can expect more of that later :') Anyway, I hope you enjoy despite all the mistakes there might be! I will definitely go back in and fix them later once I get a good night's sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

It was early September, and Kakashi Hatake watched the fading sun sink lower into the horizon from a wide, sturdy tree branch that overlooked the river. He liked to sit here in the evenings, especially after a long day of paperwork and mission reports and let his mind wander freely without any conscious direction. Here, in the solace and privacy of the trees, he could even read his Icha Icha in peace, as it was unlikely anyone, whether it be his pesky students or well-meaning colleagues, would find him here.

Today in particular, as he stretched his arms above his head and then out to the sides, he noticed his muscles were tired, and he knew they would be sore when he awoke the next morning. He was used to being tired, as he had no shortage of mission and battle experience, being an elite jounin for the village hidden in the leaves; however, since the invasion of Pain, Tsunade had ordered all able men, including shinobi, to assist in the reconstruction of Konoha, and he found himself aching in oddly, unfamiliar places after hammering down nails and handling large loads of lumber all afternoon. At the very least, he was lucky he wasn't Yamato, who'd been run down to the core, as his wood-style jutsu was being fully utilized in the reconstruction. _Poor guy._

Often nowadays when Kakashi sat here, his mind drifted, despite his best efforts, and her face, Mina's face, would pop up in his mind, smiling, shouting, smirking, teasing…It's not to say that he didn't fight for control. He hadn't expected himself to be thinking of her so often, and he convinced himself that he didn't even want it, whatever 'it' was, to be happening. What was this 'it' he referred to? Well, Kakashi wasn't rushing to define the feeling, which went on despite himself and troubled him deeply, but every time he thought of her, he felt something twitch inside him, something deep and powerful, something that made him feel dizzy and off balanced for just a moment before he could shake it off and regain composure.

Ever since the reconstruction of the village had commenced, one of the first makeshift buildings to be established was the hospital, which was now just a series of connected tents as they waited for their real facility to be constructed. Kakashi found himself lingering nearby on his breaks, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mina as she hurried about the tents. Sometimes, when he was feeling particularly reckless, he would walk in himself, complaining of a pulled muscle or part of his body that he'd strained while putting himself to use in the reconstruction. Mina would just smile at him knowingly and send him off with a bag of ice and a brisk pat on the back, "You're a shinobi, Hatake, not a baby. Suck it up!"

To make matters worse, Sakura seemed to be keeping a closer eye on her former sensei, and she sometimes sauntered past him, making a face, before ducking her head underneath the flap of the medic tent, as if she was trying to rub in the fact that she could linger around that area without seeming like an old, creepy stalker while he could not.

The other nurses, who were pleased to see Kakashi by so often grumbled whenever Mina sent him off quickly. She clearly didn't understand what she was doing. And who was she to ruin their favorite pastime, which included standing around the tent in groves, watching the handsome shinobi ice his firm muscles, squealing every time he happened to look up and smile politely in their direction?

In any case, Kakashi knew that his behavior was becoming unacceptable and inappropriate. He assured himself that today would be the last day he would walk by the medic tent, no matter what. If he had to seek out a challenge with Maito Guy to distract himself tomorrow, he would. He was _that_ desperate.

It was nearing 7 pm when he finally decided to call it a day, leaping down deftly from the branch to land squarely on his feet. He began to walk home, which at the moment, took form in an individual tent among the thousands of others that dotted the village, courtesy of the Land of Fire's government. Sleeping on a cot wasn't ideal, but at the very least, he hadn't developed back problems from it like Shikaku, who grumbled unappreciatively as he walked around the village, trailing behind Tsunade. He let out a yawn, wondering what he would be eating tonight. A few of his colleagues had invited him to a gathering that night, and to his understanding, they were grilling up fresh fish they'd caught from the stream earlier that morning. That sounded rather enticing, if the social aspect of it wasn't included. He wasn't really in the mood to sit around a fire while people yapped around him and forced him to make conversation about arbitrary things. Yet, as his stomach growled, he wondered if he wasn't lazy enough to make his own dinner tonight. _Choices…Choices…_

The sun set quickly this day, and when Kakashi finally pulled himself out of his tent to go meet his colleagues, night had fallen, and a hearty fire had been started.

"Kakashi!" Gai noticed him straightaway, of course, "my dearest rival! I saved you a piece of fish!" He waved the stick of grilled fish excitedly as Kakashi made his way toward his most peculiar and yet dependable comrade.

"Thanks," he grunted appreciatively, taking a generous bite out of the fish.

"As my eternal rival, I couldn't let you starve, Kakashi!"

"After all," he continued, "if you're not healthy, I won't be able to challenge you fair and square!"

Kakashi nodded, taking another bite, chewing slowly.

"That's why I wish I'd been in the village when that Pain guy attacked…"

Kakashi glanced at Gai, whose head drooped momentarily before it shot back up, a fire seemingly ablaze in his eyes, "I could've shown him what's what with the power of youth! I always miss all the good fights!"

"Gai," said Kakashi, "You know I died from fighting him, right?"

"Exactly!" The mention of this had seemingly stoked the fire in Gai even more so than before, "If I'd been in the village, I would have never let that happened." He folded his arms across his chest and nodded confidently to himself, "Rivals always have each other's backs!"

Kakashi chose to say nothing, simply nodding in reply. Across from where he sat, he saw Raido and Aoba in deep conversation while Kurenai, who was extremely pregnant, was chatting with an animated Anko. Iwashi, Kotestu, and Izumo stood around the fireplace and seemed to be downing a few beers. It was only then when he noticed Genma standing a little ways off from the crowd, seemingly deep in contemplation. Suddenly, his eyes flickered over to Kakashi, and they stared at each other for a few seconds before Kakashi looked away, feeling rather awkward. Normally, they were pretty friendly with each other, getting on well, as they both shared similar personality traits and found they could relate to each other when the rest of their colleagues acted a fool; however, the tension between the two had been growing uncomfortably for a while now, and Kakashi wasn't nearly daft enough to pretend he didn't know why.

"Kakashi," a low voice spoke, and he looked up to see Genma standing right in front him. He jerked his head, motioning towards a more private area a few yards away from the campfire and their circle of friends, "We need to talk."

"Okay." Kakashi rose to stand, dusting dirt off the back of his pants before he followed Genma away from the fire and into the darkness.

Once they were out of earshot of their friends, Genma faced him, his senbon twitching every so slightly.

"We need to talk about something."

"Something—or someone?" said Kakashi raising an eyebrow.

"The latter, obviously."

 _Mina_. Kakashi knew at once where this conversation was heading.

"Well talk away, Genma. I've got plenty of time."

Genma hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Well, for starters" he said, "What are you and Mina?"

"What am I and Mina?" Kakashi repeatedly dubiously.

"What is she to you?" he spoke again firmly, looking Kakashi straight in the eye.

"Well," Kakashi cocked his head and rubbed his chin as if he was thinking hard, "we're friends?" he offered finally.

"Friends."

"Yeah, friends."

"You sure don't seem like it, from what I've been seeing."

"What do you mean?" inquired Kakashi in an innocent voice, "What is it that you have been _seeing_?" Genma noted the sarcastic tone in Kakashi's last word.

"I'm not dumb, Hatake," said Genma, his voice rising slightly, "I've known you for a long time, and I see the way you look at her."

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, "And how exactly do I look at her?"

"I don't know—I mean—you just look at her like—"

"the way _you_ look at her?" interjected Kakashi quietly. He hated to admit to it, but it was true. He just hoped that he hadn't been looking nearly as puppy-eyed as Genma. That would be very out of character for him.

Genma's gaze hardened and he looked away, before grumbling something that sounded like "Yeah…tch."

"I'm sorry if that worries you Genma, but you should know that I have no intention of being anything but friends with Mina." Said Kakashi, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. He hoped that saying it out loud would make it more true and absolute in his mind. He also hoped that in saying this, Genma would stop being so tense around him and that they could resume their friendship as normal. He hated to say it, but Genma these days was starting to remind him of a certain brooding, angsty rogue ninja that he once taught. To his dismay, his words seemed to incite even more anger in his friend, who glared at Kakashi.

"What do you mean you have no intentions with her?" said Genma at the top of his voice, "You're just going to mess around with her feelings, but leave her high and dry at the end of all this?"

"Mess around with her—leave her high and—what?" sputtered Kakashi, feeling anger rise within him as well. He didn't like to be accused of acts he didn't and would never commit.

"Don't play dumb, Hatake!" said Genma almost in a snarl, "If you hurt her I swear to Kami I'll—"

"You'll what _Shiranui_?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes, feeling his patience running out, "You have no idea what you're talking about! And last time I checked, you have no business meddling in Mina's love life anyway. You have a _girlfriend_ —so start acting like it."

This was a low blow to Genma, and he would've punched Kakashi square in the face if he hadn't known deep down that it wouldn't make him feel any better afterwards. He was almost thirty. He couldn't be getting into fights anymore. He also knew deep down that what Kakashi said rang true, which made his words sting a great deal more. He did have a girlfriend, and yet, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about Mina.

"You don't even know the half of it, Hatake," Said Genma quietly, his fists clenched tightly, "You don't know anything about me and Mina."

"Yeah?" Kakashi smirked, "So why don't you go ahead and explain it to me instead of keeping it in like a petulant child."

"I don't need to tell you anything."

"Well," said Kakashi evenly, "if you're not going to tell me, you should at least tell Mina." His voice softened ever so slightly, "Out of all people, she deserves to know."

"That's not for you to decide."

"It was just a suggestion."

"I don't need your help."

"Well that's laughable." It took all Kakashi had to keep in the laugh that threatened to burst out of him. Laughing in his face wouldn't help him repair his friendship with Genma. He expected his colleague to reply in some sort of snarky manner, but instead he grew very quiet, so that all he heard was the faint rustle of the leaves and the sound of his own breathing.

Genma scrutinized the silver haired jounin that stood in front of him. All these years, and he had never seen him go out of his way to create and maintain a new relationship with anyone. Even his students, whom he suspected now held a place in Kakashi's selective heart, had been assigned to him by the third, and he would complain about them every time they met up, calling them pesky brats and the like. Yet, Mina, of all people…did she pass some sort of invisible test that rendered her worthy of his companionship, his affection? Was she so extraordinary that Kakashi simply could not leave her alone?

"Do you care for her?" he said at last with a great deal of trepidation in his voice.

"Do I care—" Kakashi repeated. Again, there was no reply from Genma, as he stood there quietly and patiently waiting for an answer. Kakashi could have thought of at least a thousand other things he would rather be doing right now than thinking about his feelings, and for a girl nonetheless, one of which included getting his teeth pulled or having his prostate checked for cancer, and yet, he was stuck, and he knew deep down that he should have been answering these types of questions all along.

"I suppose I do." He replied finally.

"That's not good enough, not nearly good enough," scoffed Genma, kicking the dirt beneath his feet, Kakashi's answer having unsettled him even further. He _supposed_ he cared about Mina? What kind of fruity, vague, noncommital answer was that?

"Look, Mina is—she's—she doesn't have a lot of people she can depend on in her life."

"I figured as much."

"So don't hurt her Kakashi," pleaded Genma, "Don't hurt her like I think you will."

Kakashi sighed heavily. It's not like he didn't have the faintest idea to what Genma was referring. He'd witnessed Kakashi's phase of shameless one night stands back in his early twenties, but for some reason, he knew instinctively that it wasn't what unsettled his friend so much. Maybe it was his personality and the way he kept himself hidden, even from friends who desperately tried to get him to open up. He never did, of course. He never liked talking about his past and all the obscenities and tragedies that befell him there, so Maito Guy's cries often fell on deaf ears. Yet, hadn't he improved? Surely, but slowly he'd begun to feel like a human being again in the past few years instead of like a numb shadow that drifted aimlessly among humanity, waiting impatiently for its turn to die. He had Naruto, Sakura, and even Sasuke to thank for that and he supposed the third, who put them all together in the first place. The hole that had been gaping in his chest for almost two decades of his life had begun to be filled year after year with the hearts of his most dear comrades, but, maybe he was lousy at showing it.

"I won't," said Kakashi after a moment of deliberation.

Genma nodded, the uneasiness he felt still bouncing around restlessly within him, but there was nothing else he felt he could say to protect Mina, at least not to Kakashi's face.

"Well. I'm going to call it a night. You should probably get back before Gai comes looking for you."

Kakashi nodded serenely. _Maito Gai...always dependable_. But why hadn't he butted in earlier during his conversation with Genma, specifically during the entire thing? He could have used some help back then, but it was too late, and the damage was done.

* * *

Mina sat in her tent, flipping through the pages of a book that she'd borrowed from a co-worker, the gas-lit lamp flickering steadily, casting the room with warmth and light. So far, the novel was okay—it was some typical romance story that revolved around a rich man and his poor, servant girl, but she longed for the collection of books that she'd kept in her apartment, some of which she'd re-read countless times. All her belongings had been destroyed, however, and there was no chance she would be able to replace them anytime soon. After all, the village was still in the midst of reconstruction, and apartment buildings were not set to be finished for another week or so, although she had heard rumors of a certain shinobi whose wood-style justu had been speeding up the process considerably.

Suddenly, she sensed a presence outside the flaps of her tent, its shadow reflected on the beige canvas material. As she expected, a familiar head popped in underneath the flaps.

"I would knock but—there's nothing here to really knock on," said Genma apologetically, "Is it a bad time?"

"No—no, of course not! Come on in." Mina set down her book beside her on the cot and smiled as Genma walked in, crouching, as to not hit his head on the tops of the tent.

"Whatever do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well—" Genma finally settled for a spot on the floor across from Mina who sat on her cot. She immediately began to motion for him to sit beside her, moving aside as she did so, but he shook his head hastily, content with where he sat.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," he began.

"Something—huh? Well, shoot away. I'm an open book," she shrugged, settling her hands into her lap. Ever since the invasion of Pain, her and Genma had mostly returned to normal, and she suspected she saw him much more often than Natsumi would have liked. Although from time to time, she felt a tinge of guilt rise up inside her in thinking about the raven-haired vixen, pacing her tent as she waited for Genma to come home to her. Mina justified her own actions with the irrefutable fact that her and Genma were only friends. In her eyes, Natsumi had nothing to worry about.

Genma didn't speak immediately, and he fidgeted nervously for a few moments as if he was struggling to formulate the right words. Finally, he spoke.

"What is your relationship with Kakashi?

"My relationship?"

Genma nodded again, slowly, trying to read Mina's expression as she considered his question carefully.

"Well, we're just friends, I guess," said Mina finally, tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ears.

"Just friends?"

"That's what I said, Genma—why?"

"I just wanted to warn you to be careful."

"Careful? Genma, Kakashi's not dangerous or anything, at least not to the average citizen." Said Mina with a confused expression, "although," she added as an afterthought, "I'm sure it'd be an entirely different story if I was an enemy shinobi."

"That's not what I mean." Genma shook his head fervently. He watched as Mina's face scrunched up in concentration, trying to figure out to what he could possibly be referring to.

It had never occurred to Mina in her entire time of knowing Kakashi that he might be dangerous to her. Sure, he was this tall, handsome shinobi that she ran the risk of falling for and that occupied many of her thoughts throughout the day and even before she fell asleep at night, but she had been working hard to suppress those. She wasn't a fool. She knew she had better find herself a boring civilian boyfriend that could promise her the security and bland life that she thought she desired, and if anything, the invasion of Pain had solidified that opinion in her mind. She didn't want to ever feel the way she did when she'd found out Kakashi had perished in battle. It was just too similar to how she felt when her family had passed away 16 years ago.

To her annoyance, Genma was being oddly vague tonight. "Well, what _do_ you mean?" she asked.

"I've seen you guys together—the way you look at him…"

"You don't mean to suggest that I might have feelings for him?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting," said Genma, "and I reckon he might have feelings for you too."

At these words, Mina's heart skipped a beat, and she felt a rush of warmth and girlish giddiness wash over her, but she tried to remain stoic on the outside, reluctant to appear excited or jubilant at his suggestion.

"Don't be silly," she said, "Kakashi and I aren't like that, and he's not _dangerous_. You know him!"

"It's precisely because I know him that I feel the need to say something. You know, Kakashi used to be like me back in the day…in regards to women"

Instantly, that wave of elation suddenly died, and Mina felt a strange sensation. Was it jealously? Bitterness? She couldn't say for sure. All she knew was that she felt as if someone had punched her directly in the gut.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Mina, her voice shaking. Anger was beginning to boil up inside her.

"Because," he replied simply, "Kakashi isn't all who you think he is."

"I'd like to make my own judgment, thank you very much," said Mina rather hotly, "And if you're so against Kakashi and I being friends, should I keep being friends with you too? You're just as bad or even worse than him when it comes to stuff like that!"

Genma froze, and he abashedly looked away, unable to keep eye contact, knowing that what she said was true. Come to think of it, he probably was worse than Kakashi in that aspect. No, he most definitely was: he was certain of it. Yet, how could he sit here and watch the girl he loved fall in love with his friend? It was almost unbearable, and he felt his heart ripping out of his chest every time he saw them together. Furthermore, he was actually worried that Kakashi might break her heart. He'd never had a steady or committed relationship with any woman, and he knew Mina would want and need that in the years to come. Could Kakashi give her what he, Genma, knew she so desperately needed? It was highly unlikely given Kakashi's history. He hated to condemn his friend in such a spiteful way, but he had been acting out of character ever since that night in the smoky bar, as if he was spiraling out of control, and nothing seemed too past him now.

"You're being really hypocritical right now, Genma, and it's quite frankly, it's pretty disappointing," said Mina pointedly, "This isn't like you at all."

"Well excuse me for caring."

"Caring? Where were you all those days when you were busy _avoiding_ me?" she spat.

 _Oh Kami_. Genma could feel the words about to spill out of him like vomit. He'd told himself over and over again that he'd wouldn't, he couldn't say anything, that no matter what, she was too good for him in his own right. He had kept it in for what felt like forever, but now, his feelings were beginning to burst out, and everything that he'd worked so hard to keep was about to be lost. _Just friends._ Kakashi and Mina had both been lying to him—that, he was sure of, but more importantly, they had been also lying to themselves, just like he had been to himself for the past year or so. It wasn't the right time for it all to come out. Genma didn't want this. He knew the result wouldn't be good, but why couldn't he control himself any longer?

"D-do you know why I was avoiding you back then?!" he exploded, looking Mina fiercely in the eye. She gulped nervously, having never heard Genma raise his voice at her like that. Ever since she'd know him, Genma had always been the calm, cool, collected type, not easily stirred up or privy to emotional outbursts.

"Do you know why it's so hard for me to see you with Kakashi?!" he roared, continuing, "Have you really not caught on already or are you that oblivious?!"

It was scary for Mina to witness Genma unleash his pent up frustration and anger onto her. At the beginning of their talk tonight, she hadn't the faintest clue why Genma had seemed so on edge, but as he continued to yell, she was starting to be able to guess, a feeling of cold dread rising inside her. She didn't want him to say it. She prayed to Kami he wouldn't say it. It might, no, it _would_ ruin everything, and she couldn't lose him again.

"I love you—" he choked out, feeling his own hot breath hitching in his throat painfully, "Mina, I love you—and, I've loved you for a long time."

There it was. He had finally said it straight to her face, clearly, shamelessly, and blatantly. There was no taking it back now, as he stared at Mina, who seemed to be in a state of shock.

"When I took you out to that bar—I didn't take you just because I wanted you to meet my friends or have some fun on your night off."

Again, with every word that left his mouth, he felt a sharp pain in his throat, as if his feelings were cutting into him the more he elaborated.

"I was so…freaking stupid—and I just thought that maybe, just maybe if you'd gone out with me that night and had a couple of drinks, you'd see me in a different light—it was a stupid thing to even think, I know!" said Genma with a pained expression, "But—I would have done anything for you to acknowledge me in that way—even if it meant fooling myself with some wishful thinking."

Mina felt that she couldn't find anything to say back, as she watched helplessly as her best friend confessed his feelings to her, feeling incredibly guilty and responsible somehow for his anguish.

"I never thought I was good enough for you, in fact, I'm still pretty certain I'm not—" he said with a great deal of embarrassment, "But I couldn't help myself, and so I selfishly tried to hold onto you and be with you in any way I could, even if it meant only being your friend."

"When you tried so insistently to set me up with Natusmi that night—it was like something inside me switched, and I just knew that you didn't love me like that at all. How could you, when you were so blatantly pushing another woman onto me? I panicked, and I was devastated, and I was drunk all at the same time—as I continued to talk with her at the bar, I thought to myself that I should just move my pathetic ass on."

"So, I actually made an effort with Natsumi, and I found that she wasn't so bad. We had some things in common, and I thought that maybe, just maybe I should try to test the waters with her. I couldn't even look at you the rest of that night because I knew if I did, I'd forget about Natsumi and fall back into old patterns and ways of thinking all over again."

"So," he croaked hoarsely, no longer speaking in a raised voice "I tried to put my all into what I had with Natsumi, and I avoided you—I knew I couldn't see you or else it'd all be over with her, my fresh new start would fall apart the moment I saw you—It fucking hurt me too, you know!"

Mina's eyes flickered in dismay as Genma placed his hand right over his heart, pounding it with his fist, "it hurt me right here, Mina, to force myself to avoid you, to not be able to see you, to not be able to give you a reason why—you have no idea."

At this point, Mina was on the verge of tears, filled with an unbearable sadness as she looked into Genma's chocolate brown eyes, taking in his dejected and heartbroken expression that threatened to send her over the edge. She had no way to deal with it, no place she could take it to or hide away. It was just there, the feeling, painful and unrelenting, and it took all the control she had to stop the tears from flowing.

"I should've just told you earlier, shouldn't I?" he said finally after a few moments of silence, "I should've just sucked it up and been more confident and gone after you—I should've been honest with myself and you right from the beginning—" he looked up at her and noticed she was shaking. He wanted so badly to reach up and wrap her in his arms until she stopped, but he knew it'd be unwise.

"It's all my fault, Mina, so please don't blame yourself. I'll be fine." He tried to smile feebly, but his face seemed determined to make him bask in the sadness of the moment, his jaw set in a perpetual frown as if he was about to start weeping any second now.

"Most importantly, I just want you to be happy—and even if that means we'll never be together, I'll be more than okay knowing that you are with exactly who you're meant to be with." The words slipped unexpectedly out of his mouth, unfiltered, unmistakable, and raw; however, he knew he meant everything he had just said deep down. Just a few moments ago, he hadn't been doing so well in accepting the fact that Mina just might not be his to hold and keep, but suddenly, possibly due to the abrupt disclosure of his true feelings, a wave of resignation and acceptance had washed over him, bringing clarity and a feeling of unbearable sorrow that filled him to the core. Because Mina never loved him.

"I better go." Genma rose shakily to his feet, his eyes never leaving those of Mina as she stared back at him, utterly perplexed and heartbroken. This might be the last time he would be seeing her, and he tried to memorize the distinct image of her face, which would get him through the troubles that he knew lay ahead. He had been already through this rodeo once before. He recognized the signs: war was coming, whether people wanted to admit it or not. With one last wave, Genma ducked underneath the flaps of Mina's tent and grudgingly forced himself to walk away, feeling a heavy and oppressive weight on his chest.

For a while it seemed, Mina sat in silence in the exact same spot she had been sitting in when Genma had first come into her tent that night, unable to move. One fat tear spilled from her eye, ran down her cheek, and splattered onto her hand, which rested on her thigh. Once that first tear had broken free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream, and Mina bent forward on the small cot, pressing her palms into her face, crying with the incredible intensity of someone vomiting on all fours. She felt her whole body trembling, as she continued to weep silently, her tired body covered in sweat and tears not after long. The rest of the night had gone by in a blur, but she remembered at one point tipping over onto her side to fall into her cot, pulling the threadbare blanket across her body and up to her chin, where she allowed herself to be pulled into a deep sleep. She had hoped that when she awoke, this would have all been a bad dream, but as the sun peeked into her tent the next morning, the birds chirping about the village as cheerfully as ever, she opened her eyes and with a wrench in her heart, realized that indeed, everything that had happened last night was not a figment of her imagination, nor the stuff of her nightmares, and upon coming to this conclusion, subsequently, she understood that everything she thought she knew had undoubtedly changed.

* * *

Ah, writing this chapter made me a bit sad. Oh the woes and pangs of first love...man... :( I kind of based it off how I felt when I got my heart broken for the first time, which is why it might sound a bit angsty at times LOL.

Poor Genma! Poor Mina! Well, I hope readers can begin to understand Genma better. Thanks for all the love, everyone. I'll keep writing!


	9. Chapter 9

Staring at the tan stretch of canvas above her, Mina wondered what time it was. She'd woken up to the sounds of hammering and power drills, construction workers chatting loudly over the buzzing of their portable radios. They were always up at the crack of dawn it seemed, but without a clock, she couldn't be sure how long she'd slept in that day. Clocks: that was yet another thing post-Pain Konoha lacked.

Mina had been awake for at least an hour, but she wasn't ready to face the day. Days felt different ever since Genma's confession. It felt like just yesterday when they'd been together laughing over another story of Izumo and Kotestu's drunken escapades or laying in a quiet field outside the boundaries of the village on their breaks, discussing the uncertainties of their futures and their hopes and dreams. Things were returning to normal between them. At least, that's what she thought. Then, he'd confessed to her a few nights ago, and since then, she hadn't seen him around, almost as if he'd made it a point to vanish from her life completely.

She began to replay the scene in her head for what seemed to be the hundredth time. How could she have missed the signs? How could she have been so oblivious to Genma's feelings all this time? Part of her blamed herself for this entire situation, and she thought that if she'd known before, maybe she could've done something, anything to prevent this from happening or fix their relationship before it ceased to exist. Then again, she got the feeling that most of this was out of her control, and unless she was able to look Genma straight in the eye and say the same exact three words he'd confessed to her, it would've resulted in the same conclusion.

As she stared at the ceiling of her tent, seeing nothing at all, she dug deep within herself once more, asking herself if she did have even a shred of feelings for her former best friend. Could she see him in a romantic light? Could she see herself by his side in the same way Natsumi was? She desperately almost wished she could, but deep down, she knew her heart wasn't in it. Genma was attractive and great in so many ways; there was a reason why he was so popular with women. Yet, she knew she couldn't love him the way he wanted her to, not truly anyway. The truth of her own feelings seemed to stab her in the gut every time they surfaced. In the silence, she continued to blankly stare above her until she was interrupted by a sharp rap on her tent. Shizune poked her head in.

"Mina? Are you awake? I don't want you to miss your shift."

"I'll be there soon."

"Okay." Shizune ducked her head back under the flaps and plodded on past her tent.

Mina sighed heavily before finally forcing herself to sit up and get off her cot. Absentmindedly, she ran her fingers through the ends of her hair, trying her best to get out the tangles and look somewhat presentable. Picking up a small hand mirror that she'd fished out of the rubble weeks ago, she studied her appearance. Her dark circles from lack of sleep were still very much prevalent, and her skin seemed dull and sallow today. Normally, a healthy slab of moisturizer and a touch of makeup could have solved these small issues, but that was yet another thing that remained to be seen in the village. Only the most basic toiletries were supplied thus far.

There was another knock on the outside of her tent. Usually she didn't have any visitors. To her surprise, a familiar silver-haired jounin poked his head in.

"Kakashi!" she breathed, feeling her heart skip in her chest, "What are you doing here?"

"Have you eaten? They're serving breakfast right now." He replied so causally as if he hadn't heard her earlier inquiry.

"Oh, you go on ahead—I'm not hungry, really." She tried to turn her attention, albeit rather unsuccessfully, to the dirt on the ground before her.

"You need to eat, Mina." Kakashi seemed to survey her as he took in her appearance carefully, noticing she'd lost some weight since he'd seen her last, her bones beginning to jut out, and her cheekbones hollowed.

"I need to go to the medic tent, actually." Mina crossed the tent to shrug on a sweater. The temperature in Konoha was steadily dropping these days, as fall continued to drag on.

"I'm sure they won't miss you for another hour or so."

"Are you trying to get me fired, Hatake-san?"

"Just trying to get you healthy," said Kakashi, gazing at her calmly.

The thought of Kakashi caring about her wellbeing made Mina's body feel warm and tingly all over even as a chilly breeze crept in under the flaps of her tent.

"Come on," Kakashi beckoned to her with one hand, "You won't work well on an empty stomach."

Mina sighed, knowing that the copy-nin wouldn't relent. It was true that she hadn't been able to focus well at work, but she doubted it was due to an empty stomach. Still, she reluctantly followed him out of her tent.

It was looking to be a beautiful day already. The bright sun shone down on the village, basking everyone in a warm embrace, and the sky was as blue and clear as ever; not even a single cloud dotted the sky. So why did Mina feel so lethargic and tired already? She trudged behind Kakashi silently as they made their way down towards a clearing where already a large line of people stood outside a tent. Thankfully, Kakashi seemed to pick up on her mood, and he didn't push her to converse. His quick wit and ability to pick up on her mood was just one of the things she liked about him. To her surprise, Kakashi paused outside the tent where food was being distributed, motioning for Mina to stay put while he disappeared underneath its olive-green flaps. A few moments later, he emerged with two plates of food, and he began to walk off again, forcing Mina to quicken her pace to keep up.

"How did you cut the line?"

"Oh you know—jounin privileges." Kakashi gave her a wink.

"Seems like an abuse of power to me," snorted Mina.

"Wouldn't have had to abuse my power if you weren't in such a hurry to get to the medic tent."

Mina rolled her eyes at his response.

"Where are we going, anyway?" she asked, noticing that they were walking farther and farther away from the village.

"Thought you could use some peace and quiet. It's hard to get that nowadays considering our current state."

With the lack of houses and walls between residents, Mina did often feel like she was entrenched with the other citizens of Konoha. Despite her best efforts, there were nights when she'd overheard uncomfortable conversations between lovers from a few tents over, or woken up due to the cries of a baby from another tent a few feet away. Yet, with his answer, Mina got the feeling that maybe Kakashi was trying get her alone, but she didn't know why. There was no way the aloof copy-nin could have feelings for her. He didn't seem like the type who would want to get himself into a relationship, especially considering what had transpired in his past. But at this early hour, she wasn't in the mood to try to figure it out. Instead, she just obediently followed him until they had reached the boundary of the village, marching down the sloping lawns towards a grassy hill with a smattering of broad oak trees, swaying in the breeze. They settled underneath one of these trees, and Kakashi handed her a plate of food finally.

"Eat," he commanded, raising an eyebrow at her.

Gingerly, she took a small bite of rice, and with a lurch in her stomach, noted that food had never tasted so good to her until now. She _was_ physically hungry, but perhaps she'd been denying herself for whatever reason. Eating had just seemed arbitrary, but sitting here with Kakashi, she began to gulp down food as if she hadn't eaten for days. He watched her curiously, looking on in approval.

"Sorry," she said, her eyes averted as she finally set aside her empty plate.

"For what?"

"I ate everything before you could even take a bite. Such bad manners…"

"Don't worry about that—I feel better knowing you're eating."

Mina raised an eyebrow, "You feel better?"

"Yes," replied Kakashi simply, "is that so strange to you?"

"It just sounds like—you worry about me, or something."

"That would be correct."

Mina's eyes flashed up at him, and he met her gaze evenly, smirking.

"It's a worry for mankind," he continued as her eyes widened, "you're a medic whose job is to oversee the village's health. If you don't eat and you can't perform your duties well, you're essentially endangering everyone, no?"

 _Wow_. Mina thought to herself. Of course that would be his reasoning. How could she allow herself to get these butterflies over this?

"Always looking out for others I see." Mina tried to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"That's part of my job."

"I don't see a lot of shinobi caring like you do," said Mina leaning back to prop herself up on her hands, looking out on what was left of her home.

"It's part of my job as a citizen of this village."

"You're always so noble," she remarked, and it was true: Kakashi always was noble, somehow, even underneath his aloof exterior.

"How have you been feeling?" he asked suddenly, finishing his food with one last bite. He'd eaten quickly today, as well, and she still hadn't seen what he looked like underneath his mask. She had been too distracted by her thoughts to pay attention yet again.

"Fine." she lied, suddenly finding great interest in the grass beside her.

"You're not a good liar. They say my sharingan sees everything, you know."

Mina snorted, "I seriously doubt you're using your sharingan for something like this."

"You would be right." He flashed a grin, "but I can still tell you're lying."

Did Kakashi for whatever reason know about what happened between her and Genma?

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Fine," Kakashi nodded.

"We don't have time anyway."

Kakashi simply nodded again.

"Why did you bring me here though?" Mina turned her head to face the copy-nin, "It wasn't just to get away from the crowd—was it?"

"I did actually want to get away from the crowd—"

"But that's not the only reason, is it? It's not like you ask me to eat with you everyday. Why is today so special?"

Kakashi eyes creased into a smile, and he began to speak.

"Ah, you caught me—"

"The truth is that I asked you to eat with me today because I wanted to say goodbye before I left."

 _Kakashi's leaving?_ Mina's struggled to maintain composure as her heart pounded. She got the feeling that he was speaking as if he would be leaving for a long time. "You're leaving?" She forced a smile.

"Yes, I am."

"Where are you going?"

"Well," Kakashi sighed, "that I can't tell you." He looked at her with a kind expression in his eyes, "But it's for something important."

"You're talking as if we might never see each other again—it was the same way when you left me in the hospital."

"That's always a possibility when I go on a mission."

Kakashi paused before continuing, "But this one in particular is very important, and it might even be dangerous."

Mina stared at the grass, pulling out fistfuls with her right hand, not wanting to look at Kakashi. Why was he always saying goodbye so abruptly?

She heard him chuckle quietly, "Mina, don't go pulling out all the grass now. The village, as you can see, needs all it can get." She stopped immediately, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. She felt childish under his gaze.

"When are you leaving?" she asked finally.

"In one hour."

That didn't leave them much time.

"Don't you ever get scared?" Mina suddenly blurted out. She didn't know why she felt compelled to ask such a question to a man in his mid 20s like Kakashi. Maybe it was a feeble and awkward attempt to get to know him better in their limited time, even though she already knew the answer, which was probably no. His feared reputation throughout the shinobi world couldn't have manifested from nothing.

"Scared?" Kakashi seemed to actually contemplate her question seriously as he rubbed his chin.

"You know—when you have to go off on missions like this—it's like I get scared at the hospital when the fate of someone's life is put in hands. Or I get scared when my loved ones are in danger—that type of thing. You always seem so calm and composed—it's like you always know what to do, even in these crazy and dangerous situations—I envy you. I wish I was like that."

At this Kakashi chuckled, and he looked over at Mina with a bemused expression.

"I may be a shinobi, and I may have been trained in how to react in moments where just one second can determine whether you and your comrades live or die, but I'm also just a human, Mina."

"I have moments where I get scared too. Don't idealize me or make me out to be this person I'm not. I have flaws too."

"Sorry—" said Mina, feeling a sense of embarrassment creep up, "I didn't mean to do that. I guess I just can't help but see you in a positive light, especially after you saved me."

"To be fair, it was a group effort. You gotta give Genma some credit. He distracted the summon long enough so I could get you to safety."

Genma? This was all new information to her. Why hadn't he ever mentioned it?

"Genma?" Mina couldn't hide her shock, "he's never said anything about that."

"Well, you know him. He has no problem bragging about anything else, but when it comes to the best parts of him, he never tells a soul."

The guilt that had been weighing on Mina ever since her talk with Genma continued to pile on even more so with Kakashi's words, perhaps because his description of her former best friend rang so true. He was an amazing person, even despite his obvious shortcomings, and she absolutely loved him in a way. But she hurt him, badly, and he didn't deserve it.

"I wish I could thank him," she managed to say.

"You wish?" Kakashi quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't think he wants to see me right now," replied Mina sighing heavily.

"Are you sure—Genma lo—"

 _Shit._ Kakashi had to stop himself before he exposed Genma's feelings. That was close.

"I mean he really cares about you. You mean a lot to him," said Kakashi, correcting himself, clearing his throat suspiciously. Luckily, Mina didn't seem to pick up on his awkward mistake. He was in the clear.

Then, in a quiet voice, Mina spoke, "He l-loved me."

Kakashi tried to feign surprise at her admission, but he clearly wasn't a good enough actor, and his mask didn't offer him as much help as he would've hoped.

"You knew," said Mina dully.

"I…" Kakashi heaved a sigh. He was caught. "I knew since the night we met at the bar. As the third party just observing, it's usually fairly obvious when a man loves a woman."

"Really," repeated Mina in the same tone, "So if I was a third party just observing, would I be able to figure out who you loved?"

Kakashi froze, as a bead of cold sweat dropped down his back. He tried not to react outwardly, but his body seemed to betray him, what with the cold sweat and the warming of his face. He hoped Mina didn't notice. To his surprise and relief, she let out a light, girlish laugh, smiling serenely afterwards.

"Just kidding," she said sticking out her tongue childishly, "You seem too busy for something like _love_."

Kakashi closed his eyes momentarily. That was close. Sure, he didn't love her, but he did care about her, and if he was going to be transparent with himself, he probably did like her. But, there wasn't any use in holding onto those feelings. They could never be more than what they were right now. His lifestyle didn't allow for it, and he would never allow her to be someone like himself, someone unreliable with a closet full of skeletons and a past filled with baggage. She deserved better. Furthermore, he wasn't even sure if he could imagine himself in a romantic relationship. Too much had happened, and he wouldn't be surprised if he was never ready to give all of himself to someone else ever again.

"Hey," she tapped onto his shoulder. Her touch sent a jolt through his body.

"What's going through your head? Don't tell me—"

"Whatever you're imagining, I can assure you it's wrong," said Kakashi tersely.

"Okay, okay I'll back off, Hatake!" Mina smiled sheepishly. She sat up, drew her knees up to her chest and rested her arms on top of them.

"Hey," she repeated.

Kakashi didn't say anything. Instead, he gave her a sideways look, as if to ask

' _what?_ '

"You didn't tell me what scares you."

For a moment, Kakashi didn't say anything, and there was silence between them. Finally, he stood up and placed his hands in his pockets, looking calmly out onto the village. Following his example, Mina rose as well, sensing that they were about to say goodbye. She brushed the dirt off the back of her clothes and turned to face him, feeling shy, fidgeting with her hands, her eyes fixed on the ground.

A hand, Kakashi's presumably suddenly appeared in her line of vision, as if he was offering her a handshake. Slowly, Mina raised her eyes to meet his, and with her breath hitching in her chest, she timidly offered out her hand to his. Once her hand was within his reach, he grabbed it, and suddenly pulled her into his warm, firm chest, her heart racing and beating at what seemed to be a thousand miles per second. Kakashi was embracing her, just like he had after Pain's invasion, and although it may have been the second time, the surge of happiness and giddiness that spread through her body was no less.

Kakashi had one hand wrapped around her waist, and another gently holding Mina's head, his fingers tangled in her soft, silky hair, pulling her into him even closer than before. He suddenly began to speak softly into her ear, and if he hadn't been holding her so firmly, she might have jumped.

"I was scared the day I came home and found my father laying in a pool of his own blood."

Mina's eyes widened, and she tried to remove himself from her grip so she could look at him, but he held her tightly, muffling her replies with his chest.

"I was scared when Obito told me to take Rin and escape, even as he was dying underneath those boulders right before our eyes."

"I was scared when I realized that Rin had run straight into my chidori, killing herself by my own hand."

Kakashi was laying out what must have been some of his most painful memories, but he showed no signs of apprehension or uneasiness. His voice remained as calm and steady as always, as if he was just talking about the weather or what he'd had for dinner the other night.

"I'm scared every time I go on a mission that I won't be able to protect my comrades."

"And—" Kakashi paused before continuing, "I'm scared that I won't be able to keep you safe—that things will change between us—that I'll hurt you."

Mina felt like she couldn't breathe, and it wasn't because of his embrace. Was this his admission of feelings for her? Was he really saying this all right here and now? It felt all so surreal that Mina wondered if she was dreaming. She had stayed silent this whole time, mostly because he wasn't letting her speak, but now because she was shocked.

"I'm scared of the things you make me feel, Mina—the way you make me feel."

Kakashi sighed. He had said too much. He was probably just another sentence away from confessing, and he sure as hell was not about to do that. He had to make an exit.

"Goodbye, Mina" he said, taking one last second to study her face once he released her from his grip, her eyes widening as strands of her light brown hair danced in the breeze. He couldn't help but smile at the image of her.

With that, the copy-nin vanished. He was gone already, and she hadn't even had the chance to say anything back.

"Goodbye," murmured Mina softly, tugging at the ends of her dress.

Was it an exaggeration to say she was feeling elated? If she had been at home in a more private setting, she might have squealed and flounced onto her bed to hide her blushing face within her pillows. Though she was in her mid-20s, she felt like a giddy school-girl, and she took a few deep breaths to try to compose herself. Kakashi Hatake, though incredibly annoying or weird at times could make her melt into an undignified puddle of mush with just a few words or with one touch. It was infuriating, embarrassing even. Mina didn't want him to know that he could make her feel this way so easily.

Ten minutes later, Kakashi finally arrived at his tent and sinking down onto his cot, he sighed. _Women_. He pulled out an old pocket watch and checked the time. He would need to pack quickly and rendezvous with Yamato and Naruto soon. Stretching his arms and letting out a yawn, he rose up reluctantly and began to throw things into his rucksack. These days, he thought a lot about what Genma said to him the other night. Was Kakashi lying to himself when he'd said him and Mina were just friends and that he had no other intentions? At the moment, they were indeed just friends, and furthermore, Kakashi didn't willingly want their relationship to become anything more. Yet, a nagging feeling deep inside his gut kept drawing him closer to her, and the desire to see her and talk to her more kept growing. He wasn't a man who would so easily give into his emotions, but these feelings were new for him, and they were different from anything he'd ever experienced on missions. He wasn't sure how to handle them. He knew though, however, that they were both on the brink of entering into dangerous territory, and Genma's warning flashed through his mind. _Don't hurt her. She doesn't have a lot of people she can depend on in her life._

"Mina, you finally made it! I thought I might have to come get you again." Shizune's familiar voice greeted her as she strode into to the medic tent.

"Sorry, I ran into someone on the way over." Mina crossed the tent to walk over to a coat rack grabbing the first medics' coat within reach, pulling it on quickly.

"Who's my first patient?"

Shizune motioned over to a very pregnant woman with dark hair that grazed the tops of her chest and red eyes. She sat on a cot, looking down at her swollen belly with a warm expression. Yuhi Kurenai. Mina had seen her before around the hospital and the village. To her understanding, she had been in a relationship with another jounin, Sarutobi Asuma, who presumably had gotten her pregnant, but had unfortunately perished in battle.

Kurenai had a few years on her, but Mina couldn't help but feel a strange connection to this woman whom she hadn't even spoken to yet. Perhaps it was the fact that when she looked at Kurenai, she saw a possible version of her future self—a woman in her late twenties who had lost close to all the people dear to her, who had fallen in love with a fellow shinobi only to be cruelly left behind.

Mina's parents had warned her about getting involved with shinobi, and Kurenai Yuhi's life made for an excellent testimony to support their opinion. In fact, logic told her that somebody like herself who has already lost so much should cling dearly and desperately onto life and onto calm and consistency. So why did she let shinobi, who seemed to live a life exactly the opposite of what she should seek, worm their way into her life and into her heart?

"Yuhi Kurenai?" Red eyes flickered up at Mina followed by a gentle smile.

"Yes? That's me."

"I'll be doing your checkup today." Mina glanced down at her clipboard briefly before meeting Kurenai's gaze, "How are you feeling?"

"Actually," Kurenai grimaced, "I've been feeling really sore, especially in my lower back, and my feet are so swollen that I can't even fit them into some of my shoes. Is this normal?"

Mina nodded sympathetically in return. "Those are indeed normal symptoms for pregnancy. I can give you something for your back—" She made a quick note in her clipboard.

"As for your feet, I think it'd be best to stick to open-toed shoes or sandals until the swelling goes down."

Kurenai nodded and sighed, "this little one in here," she said motioning to her belly, "is sure giving me hell. I almost wish she would just come out already—but then again, the thought of that also scares the crap out of me."

"Well," Mina gently placed her palms onto Kurenai's stomach, concentrating her chakra, "It looks like you're 34 weeks along, so that day might come sooner than you think."

After a few moments, she removed her hands from Kurenai's belly and began to write down more notes onto her clipboard, "But on a more positive note, it looks like your baby is healthy and doing great."

Kurenai let out a sigh of relief, "That's great to hear. Thank you."

Mina flashed a smile back at the older woman.

"Mina, was it?" Kurenai tilted her head ever so slightly at the pretty medic in front of her, "You're friends with Genma and Kakashi, right?"

At the mention of those two names, Mina felt a slight warmth run over her body. She swallowed loudly before replying.

"Yes, I'm acquainted with them."

"Just acquainted?" To Mina's dismay, Kurenai raised an eyebrow at her, as if she could already see through her denial.

"Well I was going to apologize to you on their behalf," She said chuckling, "I've known them since they were kids, and while they may be accomplished shinobi, they're especially clueless when it comes to women and relationships."

"I guess it's not their main focus," said Mina shrugging, "which makes sense…"

"That is true, but even shinobi are human, and we all deserve a chance at love, even if it seems futile."

Mina noticed Kurenai lower her eyes, and she wondered if she was thinking about Asuma.

"People might think that I was foolish to have even tried to have a normal relationship with Asuma—"

"And they might think that after he passed away that I would agree with their sentiments finally—but, if anything," she paused briefly before continuing, "I've realized that I was right all along."

"You were right?"

"Yes," Kurenai said this with such certainty, and she looked up at Mina with a determined gaze, "If I hadn't allowed myself to fall in love and be with Asuma, I would've been filled with so much regret. It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. That much I can say with certainty."

"We never know when the people we cherish will leave us, so we should spend the time we can letting them know how we feel. Otherwise, we might regret it when they're gone."

Listening to her words, Mina felt her heart thudding unwillingly in her chest. She was thinking about him again, and she was starting to question whether or not she had been making the right choices in regards to her feelings toward Kakashi. If she was going to be blatantly honest with herself, she did have feelings for him, but because she was convinced that she could never be with him romantically, she had kept denying her affection for him over and over again. There was no use in pining over someone she could never have.

But, the way Kurenai laid out her opinions on love in this age of shinobi made everything seem so simple and straightforward. Following her principle, Mina should've busted out of this tent, found Kakashi, and confessed her feelings to him before he left for his mission. In fact, Mina secretly wished she had the courage to do just that, but, love was never as easy or simplified as Kurenai made it out to be.

The next hour passed by at a turtle's pace, and Mina kept checking the one and only clock in the medic's tent, wishing for the minutes to run by faster. Her thoughts were pre-occupied today, especially after her talk with Kurenai that morning.

Despite her fears and anxiety, she wanted to see him one last time before he would be off. She wanted to take a mental picture of his haphazardly tousled silver hair, his dumb smirk, and the way his eyes creased when he smiled at her and burn that into her memory. After all, that would be all she had to go on for as long as he was away from the village. She should've tore away from the medic tent and ran to him. What she would say, she would figure out later. All that mattered was that she would get a chance to see him, but no matter what her heart told her to do, her body wouldn't move or react. She continued to walk lifelessly around the medics' tent, re-stocking bandages and first aid materials causally, all the while feeling as if her chest was going to explode.

After at least a handful of minutes had passed, Mina finally dared to check the clock. For some reason, her heart sank into her stomach when she realized that by this time, he was long gone, probably at least a mile away from the village on his way to wherever. With effort, Mina forced herself to look away from the clock and tried to re-focus on her current task, but countless thoughts swirled around in her head. Fear had gotten in the way again. Time continued to pass by, but no matter how much she thought she had grown or improved throughout the years, she kept making the same mistakes. She was disappointed in herself. Maybe people really don't change.


End file.
